South Korea's consumer price index (CPI) rose 2.9% year-on-year in September, in line with expectations, the Department of Data and Statistics announced on Friday. However, core inflation, excluding food and energy, still registered 2.8%, indicating that underlying price pressures have not fully subsided. Trade data released on the same day showed that exports in September more than doubled year-on-year to a record high of $120.9 billion, with semiconductor exports surging 263% to $60.3 billion, also a new record. Analysts believe this economic combination provides the Bank of Korea with policy space to continue raising interest rates without harming growth, reinforcing market expectations that the BOK will resume rate hikes in November after a pause in October.