South Korea's main bourse fell nearly seven percent on-quarter in the third quarter, marking the first quarterly decline since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Korea Exchange, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) finished at three-thousand-68-point-82 on September 30, down nearly 230 points from June 30.

It marks a fall of six-point-91 percent, the first quarterly drop since the first quarter of 2020, when the KOSPI crashed due to the outbreak of the virus.

The index turned around in the second quarter last year with a rise of 20-point-15 percent and posted growth in the following four quarters.

The KOSPI dropped two-point-86 percent and point-one percent in July and August, respectively and slipped four-point-08 percent in September.

Individuals bought a net 16-point-13 trillion won worth of local shares in the third quarter, while foreigners and institutions dumped a net ten-point-two trillion and five-point-seven trillion won, each.