[Featured Stock] The U.S. is also watching over suspicions of Russian plague leaks... Related stocks soar early in the market

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Yu-ah = With the United States also monitoring the situation regarding a suspected leak of plague (black death) pathogens from a Russian laboratory, related pharmaceutical and bio stocks are rising in the domestic stock market on the 7th.

As of 9:20 a.m. on this day, Kukje Pharmaceutical [002720] is trading at 4,265 won, up 25.07%, and Shinpoong Pharmaceutical [019170] is trading at 10,540 won, up 9% on KOSPI. Chong Kun Dang Bio [063160] is also rising 5.92%.

These stocks are mentioned as related stocks in online communities because they produce antibiotics used to treat plague.

Last night, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "We have an obligation to share more information with the world" regarding the recent death of a plague laboratory worker in Russia, and expressed that he would be watching and discussing it in depth.

According to previous foreign media reports, a researcher at Russia's Siberian Plague Research Institute broke a test tube containing plague pathogens on the 25th, was later hospitalized with severe pneumonia symptoms, and died between the 1st and 2nd of this month.

If discovered early, it can be treated with antibiotics, but if not, the fatality rate is high, with death within 1 to 6 days. If the United States determines it is necessary, measures such as issuing a travel warning may be taken.

Russian authorities have announced that they are isolating about 200 people who came into contact with the researcher and are conducting an epidemiological investigation.