Seoul, Tokyo lead Asian plunge as tech stocks suffer fresh rout

HONG KONG: South Korea's Kospi collapsed 10 per cent as tech took a battering on another black day for Asian stock markets, with a report of a breakthrough in China's chip industry compounding worries about the longevity of the AI boom.The losses extended a sell-off across the industry globally following an eye-watering rally over the past two years that has sent several indexes and companies to record highs.They also overshadowed a more upbeat outlook over the Middle East conflict as the United States and Iran paused tit-for-tat strikes for a third day and Donald Trump suggested there was a "good chance" of a deal to end hostilities.Semiconductor firms were at the forefront of a region-wide rout Tuesday after website The Information said China's Shanghai Yuliangsheng had started mass prod