South Korean shares rebound 6.5% as Trump signals Iran war may end soon

LG Energy Solution

10/03/2026 02:21

KOSPI rises, foreigners net buyers

Korean won strengthens against dollar

South Korea benchmark bond yield falls

SEOUL, March 10 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

** South Korean shares climbed more than 6% on Tuesday, rebounding from a sharp selloff in the previous session, as traders reacted after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran could be nearing an end.

** The benchmark KOSPI .KS11 was up 342.72 points, or 6.53%, at 5,594.59, as of 0153 GMT, after closing 5.96% lower on Monday.

** Earlier in the session, a sidecar trading curb was activated in the index, after futures rose more than 5%, halting programme trading for five minutes.

** Wall Street close higher on Monday, notching a final-hour rebound after Trump said the war was "very far ahead" of his initial four-to-five-week estimated time frame. .N

** South Korea will consider drafting an extra budget to launch support measures for low-income earners hit harder by surging oil prices amid the Middle East crisis, Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol said on Tuesday.

** Koo said foreign exchange authorities would respond to volatility in the currency market if necessary, adding that the central bank would also address any instability in the bond market.

** Among index heavyweights, South Korean chipmaker Samsung Electronics 005930.KS rose 10.26%, while peer SK Hynix 000660.KS gained 13.28%. Battery maker LG Energy Solution 373220.KS climbed 2.23%.

** Hyundai Motor 005380.KS and sister automaker Kia Corp 000270.KS were up 6.51% and 5.61%, respectively. Steelmaker POSCO Holdings 005490.KS added 3.72%, while drugmaker Samsung BioLogics 207940.KS rose 1.27%.

** Of the total 926 traded issues, 792 shares advanced, while 122 declined.

** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 1.2 trillion won ($814.83 million).

** The won was quoted at 1,472.5 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform KRW=KFTC, 0.08% higher than its previous close at 1,473.7.

** In money and debt markets, March futures on three-year treasury bonds KTBc1 gained 0.39 point to 104.75.

** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield KR3YT=RR fell by 10.5 basis points to 3.304%, while the benchmark 10-year yield KR10YT=RR fell 8.7 basis points to 3.654%.

($1 = 1,472.7000 won)

 (Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)

 ((jihoon.lee@thomsonreuters.com;))