China and Taiwan have tapped market rescue funds to reverse last week's sharp stock sell-off, triggered by the U.S. midterm elections. Korea, meanwhile, is holding back, resisting calls from retail investors to deploy what policymakers consider a weapon of last resort. KOSPI has shed 11.13 percent since the start of November as of Monday, leaving the benchmark down 42.87 percent from its June 22 record high of 9,114.55 as concern mounts that the artificial intelligence boom has peaked. The government said it would temporarily suspend a rule requiring brokerages to maintain collateral worth at least 140 percent of margin loans from Monday through Jan. 31 next year. The move is aimed at preventing forced selling from deepening the market rout. But the measure has failed to satisfy 14.42 million retail investors, who are pushing for the activation of a market stabilization fund amid a dearth of major buyers. Share buyback programs by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix that helped absorb foreign selling ended on Oct. 21. While SK hynix has begun another round of repurchases, the new program is