South Korea\'s semiconductor exports, which lifted quarterly GDP growth in the first quarter, are expected to gain further momentum in the second quarter as execution of a supplementary budget begins, Hana Securities said. It said rising semiconductor export prices are outpacing the recovery in volumes, raising the chance of a combined rebound in facility investment and domestic demand. It also cited sharp gains in memory chip contract prices and stronger April export values.

Fadu, a fabless semiconductor company specialising in data centre chips, reported preliminary first-quarter revenue of 59.5 billion won and operating profit of 7.7 billion won, it said on April 27. Revenue rose 210 percent from a year earlier and the company swung to an operating profit from a loss. Net profit came to 10.2 billion won, also returning to profit. Fadu cited a higher share of controller sales and rising AI data centre demand.