Asian stocks slide as AI selloff hits KOSPI and Nikkei

South Korean and Japanese stock markets fell sharply on Thursday as renewed selling in AI-related shares outweighed strong US tech earnings, with the KOSPI dropping nearly 2% and the Nikkei 225 sliding about 1.6%. The KOSPI declined to around 5,635, giving back part of Wednesday's 3.29% gain, while the Nikkei fell below 64,000 after briefly trading higher. The Bank of Korea held its rate at 3%, and Brent crude rose above $110 per barrel, with investors questioning whether chip demand justifies AI investment costs. Samsung Electronics fell over 3% and SK Hynix nearly 4%, while Tokyo Electron dropped 3.7% in Tokyo. Broader Asian markets also weakened, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng down about 2.1% and Shanghai's Composite losing roughly 0.9%, as concerns over oil prices and AI spending weighed on sentiment.