The benchmark KOSPI advanced nearly 1% to around 5,780 on Monday, recouping losses from the previous session as record export data underscored robust global demand for South Korean semiconductors. Total exports surged 93.7% year-on-year in October to an all-time high of $115.3 billion, driven by a 259% jump in semiconductor exports to $56.4 billion, reaffirming the strength of the country’s export-led technology sector.
Among individual names, SK Square added nearly 1%, while Hyundai Motor rose 1.1%, Hanwha Aerospace 3.7%, Hyundai Mobis 4.8%, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries 6.4%, LG Electronics 1.6%, and LS Electric 4.7%.
However, lingering concerns about the durability of AI-related investment continued to pressure global technology shares, following weaker-than-expected earnings from major US tech firms and softer capital expenditure guidance. At the same time, elevated oil prices amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East remain a headwind to corporate margins and the broader economic outlook.
