Gates Rumor Sparks Panic in South Korea

A leftover April Fool's prank concerning Microsoft Corp.'s Bill Gates swept through South Korea's mainstream media Friday, hammering technology stocks and jangling nerves in the economic community.

Seoul's Munhwa Broadcasting Company broke into regular programming Friday morning to report that Gates had been shot and killed during a charity event. MBC quoted U.S. cable news channel CNN in the report, according to several viewers who saw the initial report. Within minutes, two of South Korea's other major networks, Seoul Broadcasting System and news channel YTN, interrupted programming to carry the report of Gates' death.

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