{
  "id": 14653738,
  "title": "KOSPI sheds 21% in seven sessions as market turmoil deepens",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/kospi-sheds-21-in-seven-sessions-as-market-turmoil-deepens-14653738",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-15T06:51:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hankyoreh",
    "slug": "hankyoreh",
    "url": "https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_business/1282590.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "South Korea's KOSPI index saw an unprecedented 21% drop over seven trading sessions due to market turmoil. The KOSPI closed at 5,554.22, a 454.59 point or 7.57% decline from the previous session. This drop marked the largest since July 28 when the index fell 732.09 points or 10.84%. The KOSPI has now lost 1,449.52 points or 21% over seven consecutive sessions since October 6. The sell-off started at market opening, with the KOSPI initially at 5,673.01, down 5.59% from the prior close. The index plunged as low as 5,450.81 in afternoon trading, a 9.29% decline, before a slight recovery to just above 5,500. Tech giants like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix suffered steep losses, down 9.91% and 11.49% respectively, bringing their stocks to 209,000 won and 1.26 million won. Other major stocks also experienced significant losses, including SK Square (-11.03%), LG Energy Solution (-6.04%), Samsung Electro-Mechanics (-16.16%), and Hyundai Motor (-7.02%). The tech-heavy KOSDAQ fell 63.06 points or 7.65% to close at 760.82. The sharp early losses led to sell-sidecar measures in both markets, temporarily suspending the effect of program sell orders. For the first time since July 29, both markets triggered circuit breakers after their indexes plunged more than 8%, halting trading for 20 minutes. Market analysts cited growing doubts over the returns on AI investments, a pessimistic assessment by Gartner on AI profitability, and an unexpected US consumer price index report that showed rising prices exceeding forecasts. The NASDAQ Composite also fell 1.88%, and semiconductor stocks took a hit. Nvidia and Broadcom each dropped 3.16%, while Micron Technology fell 4.08%. The National Pension Service, traditionally a support for stocks during downturns, failed to rebalance its holdings, limiting its ability to act as a buyer. South Korean authorities convened an emergency market review meeting to assess risks and strengthen investor protection measures.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Hankyoreh",
        "title": "KOSPI sheds 21% in seven sessions as market turmoil deepens",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/kospi-sheds-21-in-seven-sessions-as-market-turmoil-deepens",
        "published": "2026-10-15T06:38:54.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}