South Korea's exports beat forecasts in March, surging at their fastest pace in nearly four decades on an AI-driven chip boom, but supply risks from the Middle East conflict cast a shadow over future prospects. Exports from Asia's fourth-largest economy, a bellwether for global trade, rose 48.3% from a year earlier to a record high of $86.13 billion, preliminary trade data showed on Wednesday, higher than a median 44.9% increase forecast in a Reuters poll. The annual growth rate topped the 28.7% pace in February and was the strongest since August 1988.