As South Korea's benchmark KOSPI index booked bruising losses at the end of July 2026, social media users falsely claimed authorities had reacted by installing cameras on bridges over Seoul's Han River to prevent suicides. The posts appear to have misinterpreted an AFP story about an AI-driven surveillance system that was put in place in 2021, and the programme's chief said it had no links to the recent KOSPI losses.
"Breaking: South Korea is installing cameras on bridges in Seoul to prevent suicides after the KOSPI index plunged," says an X post shared on July 31, 2026.
The benchmark dropped to its lowest level in months in late July, driven by compounding worries about rising Chinese competition and the longevity of the AI boom ( archived link). Sharp sell-offs battered the country's memory chip giants -- Samsung Electronics and SK hynix -- which together account for roughly half of Seoul's tech-heavy KOSPI.
Similar claims were also shared in English and French posts, with some alleging the administration of President Lee Jae Myung was " censoring reports of suicide" as extreme volatility roiled stock markets.
While South Korean authorities announced on July 14 that it would launch a nationwide debt counselling hotline as part of broader suicide prevention measures, the cameras installed on bridges over the Han River have been in place since at least 2021 ( archived link).
Several of the falsely shared posts include photos that accompanied an AFP report published on July 28 about AI-powered cameras on bridges over Seoul's Han River that alert first responders when someone enters an area deemed unsafe, picks up one of the bridges' dedicated suicide-prevention phones or lingers in certain locations ( archived link).
The article, however, says the Han River AI system has been operating since 2021. It has proven to be highly effective; nearly 900 cameras on 17 bridges identified more than 1,200 incidents in 2025.
Kim Jun-young, who serves as chief of the Han River Bridge CCTV Integrated Control Centre, rejected claims the cameras had been installed because of the recent stock routs.
Construction of the centre began as early as April 2021, with the system being fully operational by January 2022, Kim told AFP in an interview on August 5.
A keyword search shows that several local outlets reported on the control centre when it was first established (archived here and here).
Kim also provided AFP with photos of the completed construction from a 2021 report.
The ministry of health and welfare separately told AFP on August 6 that "no changes in suicide-related figures" have been identified after the recent stock market drops.
The ministry added that it takes approximately two months to compile figures for suicide-related deaths, with the latest figures released on July 29. According to that data, roughly 1,071 suicide deaths were reported in May -- down by 130 deaths recorded in the same month a year earlier.
South Korea operates a 24-hour national suicide prevention hotline for individuals in crisis or those looking to help someone. To speak to a counsellor, call 109. More information is available on the hotline's website.