Morning News Briefing: Kospi Plunges Past 8%, Drop Below 5,500; 30 Regional Election Commissions Suspected of Falsifying Turnout Data (October 15, 2026)

1. The KOSPI, which experienced a sharp decline, plunged more than 8% in early trading today, falling back to the 5,500 level. The KOSDAQ also plummeted by more than 8%, leading to consecutive sidecars being triggered in both markets. Analysts attribute this to Wall Street's overnight slump—where the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index dropped over 4%—as U.S. consumer price inflation for September exceeded market expectations, heightening concerns over rising interest rates and reigniting debate over the profitability of the artificial intelligence industry. SK Hynix plummeted by more than 10%, breaking below the 1.3 million won mark. Samsung Electronics also dropped to the low 200,000-won range.

2. The special counsel team investigating the National Election Commission has found that as many as 30 regional election commissions are suspected of falsely inputting hourly voter turnout numbers during the local elections last June. The special counsel team confirmed circumstances in which 30 regional election commissions across the country fabricated voter numbers, such as modifying figures or inputting predetermined incremental values. The hourly voter turnout numbers entered in this manner were disclosed to the public as real-time voter turnout information during the election. Starting this morning, the special counsel team has been executing search and seizure warrants at seven locations, including the National Election Commission, as well as regional election commissions in South Chungcheong Province, South Jeolla Province, Gwangju, South Gyeongsang Province, and Gangwon Province.

3. The Korean Central News Agency reported that North Korea's Missile General Bureau test-fired two types of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles in the East Sea yesterday. The KCNA added that the test launch contributed to inspecting the readiness posture of underwater combat systems and honing the navy's strategic mission execution capabilities. Our military did not separately disclose the fact of this test launch. The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated only that it continuously tracked and monitored the trajectory of the missiles launched yesterday from the pre-launch, cruise, and final stages using various assets.

4. Gyeonggi Provincial Governor Choo Mi-ae is appearing on screen. The Firefighters Labor Union has demanded an apology from Governor Choo, protesting her remark during a parliamentary audit targeting the fire budget as a troublesome "financial straw." In a statement released yesterday, the Fire Workers Union headquarters under the Korean Government Employees' Union demanded an immediate and sincere apology, stating that Governor Choo's remarks constituted an insulting act that severely tarnished the honor of 70,000 firefighters nationwide. During the Gyeonggi provincial audit the day before, in response to an opposition lawmaker's point that the proportion of national government funding for fire administration budgets should be increased, Governor Choo replied, "As you said, the fire sector seems to be our largest and most troublesome financial straw." Regarding the union's backlash, the Gyeonggi provincial government explained that her remarks were intended to highlight the reality that local governments still bear most of the financial burden for fire services even after firefighters were converted to national public servants, with the proportion of national treasury support actually decreasing.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.