Asia Briefing, October 14: Kospi Rebounds After a 5.5% Plunge, China’s Exports Jump 36%, Singapore Grows 5.4% and Haze Shuts Malaysian Schools

October 14: South Korea’s Kospi bounced back in early trade on Wednesday after Tuesday’s 5.46% plunge, which triggered the first sell-side sidecar in nearly two months, as chip stocks recovered some ground. China reported a 36.3% jump in September exports and the fastest rise in factory-gate prices since 2022. Singapore’s economy grew 5.4% in the third quarter and its central bank surprised analysts by holding policy, haze from Indonesian fires kept schools shut in three Malaysian states, and Thailand’s prime minister is sparring with the opposition over a no-confidence motion. Here is what matters in Asia this morning.

Key highlights

• South Korea: The Kospi rose 1.91% to 6,150.70 at 9:10 am, after closing at 6,035.35 on Tuesday, Seoul Economic Daily reported. Samsung Electronics was up 3.23% and SK hynix 2.63% after losing 7.39% and 10.09% the day before. Full story.
• China: Exports rose 36.3% year on year in dollar terms and the September trade surplus reached $133.5 billion; producer prices rose 5.0% and consumer prices 0.9%. Full story.
• Singapore: GDP grew 5.4% year on year in the third quarter, down from 6.2%, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore left policy unchanged when all 10 analysts polled by Reuters expected tightening. Full story.
• Haze: 27 of Malaysia’s 68 monitoring stations showed unhealthy air on Wednesday morning, and all schools in Johor, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan are closed. Indonesia’s fire hotspots in six priority provinces jumped from 238 to 542 in a day. Full story.
• IMF: The Fund expects emerging and developing Asia to grow 5.1% in 2026, with China at 4.5%, India at 7% and the ASEAN-5 at 4.4%. The Asian forecasts in one table.

East Asia

• South Korea: A 59-year-old man wearing an electronic ankle monitor stabbed eight people at a shopping complex in Incheon on Tuesday afternoon; a woman in her 20s had not regained consciousness after emergency surgery, The Korea Times reported. President Lee Jae Myung ordered “special” measures against violent crime, and the Justice Ministry apologised and said it would review its ankle-monitor system.
• Taiwan: Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi accused China of “transnational repression” against Taiwan’s diplomatic partners, The Rio Times reported, citing The Straits Times.
• China: Apple chairman Tim Cook attended the advisory board meeting of Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management in Beijing on October 13–14, The Standard reported.
• Hong Kong: Customs seized about 320,000 suspected smuggled pharmaceuticals worth an estimated HK$18 million from a lorry at the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge port, The Standard reported.

Southeast Asia

• Thailand: Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul criticised the wording of the opposition’s no-confidence motion against him and 17 ministers and suggested it be made more “civilised”, the Bangkok Post reported, according to Bernama. The motion has 145 signatures; it needs 251 votes to pass. The numbers and the charges.
• Indonesia: Haze forced seven flight cancellations at Makassar’s airport, affecting 1,070 passengers, ANTARA reported.
• Philippines: ICC prosecutors plan to bring five witnesses to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s trial, the Philippine News Agency reported, according to Bernama.

South Asia

• India: The IMF raised India’s 2026 growth forecast to 7% from 6.4%. Our report.

Beyond Asia

• Vatican: Pope Leo XIV, 71, has lung cancer; doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung in a 90-minute operation at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, the Vatican said. All audiences until October 20 have been cancelled, Al Jazeera reported.

Asia at a glance

What to watch today

• Whether the Kospi holds its rebound through the close, and whether foreign investors stop selling.
• US September inflation data, which Asian investors are watching for clues on interest rates.
• Whether Malaysia extends school closures, and Indonesia’s response to Malaysia’s firefighting offer.
• The Vatican’s next update on Pope Leo’s recovery.

Sources

• Seoul Economic Daily: KOSPI rebounds 1.91% after five-day slide
• The Korea Herald: Foreign selloff sends Kospi down 5.5% as chip giants tumble
• Focus Taiwan: Taiex plunges 960 points as tech stocks hit by heavy U.S. losses
• News on Japan: Nikkei falls 1,253 points as AI and chip selloff hits Tokyo
• The Korea Times: 8 injured in knife attack in Incheon; Lee calls for thorough probe
• The Standard: Morning Recap, October 14, 2026
• The Rio Times: Asia Intelligence Brief, Tuesday, October 13, 2026
• Bernama: Top News Headlines in Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand & Vietnam, Oct 14, 2026
• Al Jazeera: Pope Leo diagnosed with cancer after surgery to remove part of lung

Written by

International Desk

The International Desk covers world and Asian affairs, diplomacy and conflict, with a focus on what they mean for India. Stories are checked against at least two credible sources before publication.

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