Seasonally adjusted unemployment in South Korea fell to 2.5% in October from 2.6% in September, matching the May 2023 low, Statistics Korea said. Economists say the drop largely reflects labour‑force exits rather than stronger hiring: employed fell 50,000 month‑on‑month while the number of unemployed fell 29,000. The semiconductor‑led export boom, driven by AI chip demand, has tightened aggregate labour market conditions but has not produced broad‑based job growth; labour‑intensive sectors and y

Japan's Nikkei 225 climbed for a third straight session as renewed optimism in AI names supported sentiment. A Refinitiv poll showed Japan's November manufacturing confidence rose to its highest in over five years, lifted by strong semiconductor demand. US equities fell overnight, but AI cloud provider CoreWeave said after the close it expects adjusted profitability in H1 2028. A Nomura equity strategist said investors are focused on NVIDIA's Q3 results next week; if NVIDIA's report is strong enough to allay profitability concerns for AI and semiconductor stocks, the positive shock could spill over to Japan's AI-related firms and help fuel further share gains.

West Securities chief strategy analyst Cao Liulong said capital-market reforms are continuing to take effect and large-cap blue-chip valuations are not high, so A-shares need not be viewed pessimistically over the medium to long term. He said securities–fund–insurance swap facilities provide institutions with a reliable liquidity channel, and a special relending facility for repurchases and buybacks supplies cash to listed companies and major shareholders; both measures have helped break negative spirals and restore institutional willingness to buy during stress. With related tool rates reduced and converted into long-term arrangements, market self-stabilization now has institutional support.