South Korean equity ETFs advanced against the broader market trend, with the CSOP SK hynix Daily Leveraged 2x Product (07709) up 5.39% at HK$42.24 and the CSOP Samsung Electronics Daily Leveraged 2x Product (07747) up 4.47% at HK$82.2 as of press time.

According to preliminary data released by South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on October 1, the country's September exports jumped 83.5% year-on-year to $120.94 billion, breaking through the $120 billion monthly threshold for the first time and accelerating from 68.7% growth in August. Semiconductor exports for September surged 262.8% year-on-year to $60.3 billion, surpassing the $46.7 billion record set in August and accounting for roughly 49.9% of total monthly exports. South Korean trade data is widely regarded as a barometer of global AI demand, and these figures indicate there is no sign yet of cooling appetite for chips.

It is also worth noting that from January to September this year, South Korea's cumulative exports reached $814.5 billion, already exceeding last year's full-year record of $709.3 billion, with year-on-year growth of 56.8%. This performance makes it possible for South Korea to achieve the goal of surpassing $1 trillion in annual exports for the first time. According to estimates, to reach this milestone, average monthly exports from October to December would need to be approximately $61.8 billion.