FX.co ★ South Korean Shares Hit 3-Week High

The benchmark KOSPI gained over 1% to around 7,095 on Tuesday, a three-week high, as renewed optimism about AI-driven semiconductor demand continued to buoy technology shares. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix advanced more than 1% and 3%, respectively. Confidence in a stronger memory upcycle was underpinned by Samsung’s 39.4% share of the global DRAM market in Q2 and projections of critically tight supply as hyperscalers accelerate AI infrastructure investment. Among other notable gainers were SK Square (3.0%), Doosan Enerbility (3.3%), SK Inc. (1.2%), and Hanmi Semiconductor (4.8%). The macro backdrop in South Korea also remained supportive: exports in August jumped 68.7% year-on-year, driven by a more than 200% surge in semiconductor shipments, while Q2 GDP grew 0.6% quarter-on-quarter. At the same time, rising tensions in the Middle East lifted Brent crude prices, stoking inflation concerns and heightening the risk of tighter global monetary policy.