Powered by AI semiconductor demand, Korea's October exports hit their second-largest monthly total ever, bringing annual exports of $1 trillion within reach. Samsung Electronics' and SK Hynix's HBM is effectively sold out, and Sam Altman's visit to Samsung pointed to deepening AI chip cooperation. We also round up the confirmed payment date for Nvidia's $1 billion investment in Naver, Google's security-focused Gemini 4 Carbon model, Anthropic's IPO preparations, and the EU's delay of the AI Act's high-risk obligations.
🇰🇷 Korea Nears $1 Trillion in Annual Exports… October Exports Surge 93.7%
Korea's October exports rose 93.7% year over year to $115.28 billion, the largest increase since January 1974 and the second-largest monthly total on record. Semiconductor exports surged 259.4% to $56.44 billion, accounting for nearly half of the total, and cumulative exports for January–October reached $930 billion. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said that at this pace, Korea could surpass $1 trillion in annual exports in November, becoming only the fourth country in the world to do so after the United States, China, and Germany.
🇰🇷 Samsung and SK Hynix HBM Effectively Sold Out… Memory Shortage Seen Lasting to 2028
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix said supplies of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) have effectively run dry amid surging AI data center investment. Samsung said its 2027 HBM output is already sold out and expects the shortage to last into 2028, while SK Hynix said customer demand is more than double its supply capacity and that DRAM and HBM are effectively sold out through 2029. Market researcher TrendForce forecast that average HBM selling prices in 2027 will rise 121% from this year.
🇰🇷 Altman Discusses AI Chip Cooperation with 50 Samsung Presidents… HBM4 Deal Eyed
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met about 50 presidents of Samsung affiliates on October 31 at the Samsung Human Resources Development Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, to discuss the next decade AI will transform and how companies should respond. Altman handed the presidents OpenAI's small AI keyboard, "Codex Micro," and was accompanied by Richard Ho, the vice president leading OpenAI's in-house AI chip development, fueling speculation about cooperation on next-generation AI accelerators. Industry watchers say Samsung Electronics' next-generation HBM4 could be used in OpenAI's own accelerators.
🇰🇷 Naver Confirms November 6 Payment Date for Nvidia's $1 Billion Investment
Naver disclosed a correction setting the payment date for Nvidia's $1 billion third-party allotment capital increase to November 6, moved from October 30, with the new shares to be listed on November 27. The issue price is ₩204,500 per share; once payment is complete, Nvidia is expected to become the third-largest shareholder, after the National Pension Service and BlackRock, with a stake of around 4.5%, and the new shares will be subject to a one-year lock-up. The investment moved forward after Naver met a precondition by signing a deal with Brookfield to secure up to $9 billion in AI infrastructure, and the funds will go to its new AI factory business.
🤖 Google Unveils Security-Focused Model 'Gemini 4 Carbon'… Offered First to Cyber Defenders
Google unveiled "Gemini 4 Carbon," which it described as its best model yet for long-horizon tasks, and began offering it first to select cyber defenders. Google said the model scored 59 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, taking first place, but that is the company's own announced figure and has not yet been independently verified. API pricing starts at $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens, and no general release date has been set.
💰 Anthropic Targets November 16 Listing… Reports Say Nvidia in Talks on $10 Billion Anchor Investment
Anthropic is preparing for a listing in the week of November 16, with reports that it aims to raise up to $100 billion at a valuation of around $2 trillion. According to Reuters sources, Nvidia is in talks to participate as an anchor investor with up to $10 billion, though final terms have not been set. Anthropic's first-half revenue was $16.3 billion, more than triple its full-year 2025 revenue, but its large compute commitments are seen as a key variable in the listing review.
🏛️ EU AI Act High-Risk Obligations Delayed to at Least December 2027… First Harmonised Standard Published
The application date for the EU AI Act's obligations on high-risk systems has been pushed back to at least December 2027. However, the European Commission has published the reference for the AI Act's first harmonised standard, on quality management systems, so companies that follow it can benefit from a presumption of conformity. Meanwhile, a consultation on a draft Digital Services Act (DSA) enforcement act covering general-purpose AI by very large online platforms and search engines runs until November 9.