November 11 — Fueled by sustained strength in semiconductor exports, South Korea's exports for the first 10 days of November more than doubled year-on-year, with the cumulative export total for the year now approaching $1 trillion. Preliminary data released Wednesday by the Korea Customs Service showed that total exports from November 1 to 10 reached $33.5 billion, up 111.9% year-on-year — a record high for the same period and the second-highest 10-day figure since record-keeping began, trailing only $35.1 billion in early September. The period included 7.5 working days, 0.5 more than the same period last year; adjusted for working-day differences, average daily exports rose 97.7% to $4.46 billion. As of Tuesday, cumulative exports for the year stood at $963.7 billion. If the current average daily export pace holds, South Korea is expected to surpass $1 trillion in total annual exports for the first time around November 20. Semiconductor exports surged 331.2% to $16.6 billion, setting a record for the period and posting the largest gain among major export categories.