Plunging markets defy intervention in S. Korea, Taiwan

FILE PHOTO: A 12-inch wafer is seen at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) in Hsinchu June 15, 2010. REUTERS/Pichi Chuang

SINGAPORE: Asia’s two tech-heavy economies South Korea and Taiwan are facing an uphill battle in trying to stem losses in what are already among the world’s worst-performing assets this year.

They have been hit particularly hard by a global growth slowdown and United States chip restrictions.