"Suicide Rates Are Rising Due to KOSPI Plunge"... The Source of the "Rumor" in France

Recently, as social media posts claiming that "South Korea's suicide rate is increasing as the KOSPI drops" spread overseas, particularly in France, the French international news agency AFP reported that this is "not true."

AFP reported in its fact-checking column today (the 8th) that "a false claim is spreading that as South Korea's benchmark KOSPI index recorded a sharp decline in late July 2026, South Korean authorities installed surveillance cameras on bridges over the Han River in Seoul to prevent suicides," adding that "this appears to be a misunderstanding of AFP's previous reporting."

The AFP report referred to here is its report on "AI cameras on the Han River" published on the 28th of last month, local time.

On that day, AFP reported, "AI cameras are installed on Han River bridges," and "The AI cameras alert emergency rescue teams when someone is determined to enter a hazardous zone or lingers in a specific spot for a long time."

The problem was that the KOSPI plummeted on the same day.

The KOSPI tumbled by more than 10% on the 28th, and two days later on the 30th, it recorded 5,593.56 on a closing basis, marking its lowest point of the month.

Consequently, some foreign social media users distorted the situation by linking the AFP report on "Han River camera installations" with the stock market crash.

AFP actively refuted the claim through fact-checking, stating, "The cameras installed on bridges over the Han River have already been in place since at least 2021."

AFP also cited a response from South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare, reporting that "there has been no change in suicide-related figures following the recent stock market decline."

Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Jang Yujin | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.