Global Bulls Target Asia Equities as Korea Surges 78% YTD on Chip Boom

Global investors are rotating into Asian equities, with Korea and Taiwan leading as the next leg of the rally, prompting JPMorgan and Societe Generale to recommend bullish derivatives amid easing geopolitics and AI chip demand. The momentum built from a May 9 report highlighting the iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) up 87% YTD through May 6—outpacing U.S. semis—fueled by memory chip leaders like Samsung and SK Hynix capturing hyperscaler HBM demand. Kospi has rocketed ~78% YTD, Taiex shows rare vol-up spot-up strength, while India's Sensex lags at -9.3%; Interactive Brokers now offers U.S. retail Korean access, with China ETFs gaining ahead of Trump-Xi talks.