Finance minister expects exports to top $1 tril. this year

South Korea's finance minister said Thursday the country's exports are likely to exceed $1 trillion this year despite Middle East tensions and other external headwinds, with economic growth expected around 3 percent. Semiconductor shipments drove a record $120.9 billion in September exports, up 83.5 percent year-on-year, with chip sales alone exceeding $60 billion for the first time. Through September, exports totaled $814.5 billion, already surpassing all of 2023's $709.3 billion.