{
  "id": 14639859,
  "title": "Black Thursday: KOSPI plunges 7% amid AI spending fears",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/black-thursday-kospi-plunges-7-amid-ai-spending-fears",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-15T07:37:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/economy/20261015/black-thursday-kospi-plunges-7-amid-ai-spending-fears"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Thursday, the Korean stock market, tracked by the KOSPI index, experienced a sharp decline of 7.57 percent, causing a significant loss of nearly 400 trillion won ($297.7 billion) in total market value. The benchmark KOSPI index closed at 5,554.22, down by 7.57 percent from the previous close. This dramatic drop marked the 27th activation of the sell-side sidecar mechanism this year, and a Level 1 circuit breaker was triggered at 12:38 p.m., as the index fell by at least 8 percent from the previous day's close.\n\nForeign investors played a significant role in the market's downturn, with a net selling of 3.6 trillion won worth of shares, extending their losing streak to eight consecutive trading sessions. Despite the overall market sentiment being negative, institutional investors and retail investors managed to step in, making net purchases of 1.69 trillion won and 1.29 trillion won, respectively. This buying activity occurred at discounted prices, attempting to stabilize the market.\n\nHowever, market heavyweights, such as Samsung Electronics, were particularly hard hit by the downturn. The company's shares fell by 9.48 percent, closing at a lower value compared to the previous day. The heavy selling pressure affected the performance of other major companies in the market, contributing to the overall decline in the KOSPI index.",
  "summary": "Korean stocks plunged 7.57 percent and shed nearly 400 trillion won ($297.7 billion) in market capitalization Thursday, amid concerns over the sustainability of artificial intelligence (AI) spending and the outlook for the semiconductor sector. The benchmark KOSPI closed at 5,554.22, down 7.57 percent. A sell-side sidecar was triggered at 9:07 a.m., marking the 27th activation this year, followed…",
  "key_points": [
    "KOSPI index drops 7.57%, leading to $297.7 billion loss",
    "Foreign investors sell 3.6 trillion won worth of shares",
    "Samsung Electronics shares fall 9.48%, contributing to market decline"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Black Thursday: KOSPI plunges 7% amid AI spending fears",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/black-thursday-kospi-plunges-7-amid-ai-spending-fears-14643151",
        "published": "2026-10-15T07:57:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}