
Seoul shares closed higher Tuesday helped by retail buying, with investors trimming bets on the US Federal Reserve's rate cuts amid a resilient US economy. The Korean won rose against the US dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 7.84 points, or 0.31 percent, to close at 2,497.40, snapping a second-session losing streak.
Trade volume was moderate at 406.24 million shares worth 8 trillion won ($5.46 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 509 to 363.
Overnight, US stocks ended mixed, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.86 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq down 0.38 percent.
Individuals bought a net 296.8 billion won worth of stocks, offsetting institutions and foreigners' stock selling valued at 350 billion won.
Investors worry the robust job market and persistent inflation in the United States will make it hard for the Fed to continue with its easing cycle, analysts said.
Large-cap stocks were mixed.
Top carmaker Hyundai Motor rose 0.91 percent to 222,000 won, and leading steelmaker POSCO Holdings climbed 0.97 percent to 259,500 won.
Hanwha Ocean, formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, jumped 6.2 percent to 47,950 won, and leading battery maker LG Energy Solution gained 3.02 percent to 358,000 won.
Among decliners, market bellwether Samsung Electronics fell 0.37 percent to 53,900 won, state-run Korea Gas Corp. declined 1.39 percent to 35,600 won, and leading cosmetics firm AmorePacific shed 1.96 percent to 115,300 won.
The local currency was quoted at 1,463.20 won against the greenback at 3:30 p.m., up 7.6 won from the previous session. (Yonhap)