South Korean Won Firms on Strong Export Inflows

2026-11-09 04:36 By Mariene Camarillo 1 min. read

The South Korean won strengthened to around 1,354 per dollar on Monday, recovering from a four-week low as strong corporate dollar selling and a modest pullback in the dollar helped offset lingering demand for safe-haven assets.

South Korean non-financial companies recorded net dollar sales of $286.57 billion in the first nine months of 2026, 2.6 times the amount in the same period last year, as export-oriented firms, particularly semiconductor manufacturers, converted their foreign currency earnings into won.

The trend was supported by a record current-account surplus of $61.46 billion in September, while strong semiconductor exports and continued AI-related investment further bolstered the outlook for foreign currency inflows.

However, gains were limited by stronger-than-expected US employment data, which reinforced expectations of a December Federal Reserve rate hike, while concerns over AI-related regulations continued to weigh on investor sentiment and support dollar demand.



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South Korean Won Firms on Strong Export Inflows
The South Korean won strengthened to around 1,354 per dollar on Monday, recovering from a four-week low as strong corporate dollar selling and a modest pullback in the dollar helped offset lingering demand for safe-haven assets. South Korean non-financial companies recorded net dollar sales of $286.57 billion in the first nine months of 2026, 2.6 times the amount in the same period last year, as export-oriented firms, particularly semiconductor manufacturers, converted their foreign currency earnings into won. The trend was supported by a record current-account surplus of $61.46 billion in September, while strong semiconductor exports and continued AI-related investment further bolstered the outlook for foreign currency inflows. However, gains were limited by stronger-than-expected US employment data, which reinforced expectations of a December Federal Reserve rate hike, while concerns over AI-related regulations continued to weigh on investor sentiment and support dollar demand.
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