(News Focus) AI rout prompts KOSPI to tumble below 5,000 after U.S. midterm elections

What happened: The KOSPI fell below 5,000 points Friday, dropping more than 8 percent and triggering a 20-minute trading halt, after a Wall Street tech sell-off tied to fears that a Democratic win in the U.S. Why it matters: Analysts expect local market volatility to stay elevated, though Daishin Securities called the AI-driven reaction excessive and said a full-scale halt to data center build-out was unlikely. Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il vowed measures to curb excessive volatility. Summary: Coverage: 4 outlets in 24h

The KOSPI fell below 5,000 points Friday, dropping more than 8 percent and triggering a 20-minute trading halt, after a Wall Street tech sell-off tied to fears that a Democratic win in the U.S.

Analysts expect local market volatility to stay elevated, though Daishin Securities called the AI-driven reaction excessive and said a full-scale halt to data center build-out was unlikely. Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il vowed measures to curb excessive volatility. Summary: