South Korean Stocks Slide 5.5% on AI Worries

South Korea's equity benchmark plunged 5.5% on Tuesday, leaving the index roughly 38% below its June all-time high. Concerns about artificial intelligence investment and Chinese chip competition rattled Asian markets, led by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Bitcoin fell below $81,000 before recovering to above $83,000, while ether fell as low as $2,400.