Morning News Briefing: US Tech Stock Plunge Hits Kospi Again (October 30, 2026)

1. Today (October 30), the Kospi opened sharply lower as the shock from overnight plunges in U.S. tech stocks rippled through the market. During the session, the index's decline exceeded 5%, triggering a sell-sidecar for the first time in 11 trading sessions since October 15. Large-cap semiconductor stocks, notably Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix—which announced strong earnings this week—saw steep drops. Analysts attribute the cooling investor sentiment, centered around semiconductor shares, to earnings shocks from U.S. big tech companies, including Amazon. Meanwhile, some stocks like Samsung Biologics and LG Energy Solution showed upward trends, resulting in differentiated movements across individual issues.

2. Suspicions have emerged that Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, suffered a multibillion-dollar hacking breach, sending shockwaves through the crypto market. Binance stated that it is aware of a potential security issue and is currently investigating, adding that no impact on user funds has been confirmed yet. As rumors of the hack spread, coin issuers Tether and Circle froze transactions for their respective tokens on Binance. Domestic exchange Upbit also posted a notice this morning advising users to exercise caution when withdrawing funds to Binance.

3. Often referred to as a national actor and national father, veteran actor Choi Bul-am, who received nationwide love through hit dramas such as "Chief Inspector" and "Country Diaries," has passed away at the age of 87. Choi, who had been receiving inpatient treatment at a hospital in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, reportedly passed away around 10 p.m. yesterday. After undergoing back disc surgery in March of last year, he suspended broadcast activities to focus on rehabilitation and treatment, and his health reportedly deteriorated sharply in recent times. The late actor began his acting career in 1959 on stage in a production of "Hamlet." Moving to television dramas in 1967, he appeared in countless shows, literally becoming a living history of Korean broadcasting drama. The wake for the deceased, who brought his 67-year acting career to a close, has been set up at Asan Medical Center in Seoul. May he rest in peace.

4. Tomorrow is Halloween. This marks the first weekend Halloween to coincide with a Saturday since the Itaewon crowd crush in 2022. Today, Acting National Police Agency Commissioner General Kim Jong-cheol and Minister of the Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung will visit Itaewon and the Hongdae area, respectively, to inspect on-site crowd management conditions. The police have deployed approximately 7,800 personnel to major managed areas nationwide where crowds are expected to gather. They emphasized that special equipment, including police special forces armored vehicles, will be positioned around bustling districts to prepare for potential indiscriminate terror attacks or knife violence within crowds.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.