South Korean shares rise 3% on hopes around US-Iran talks

LG Energy Solution

25/03/2026 02:00

KOSPI rises, foreigners net buyers

Korean won strengthens against dollar

South Korea benchmark bond yield falls

SEOUL, March 25 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

** South Korean shares rose 3% on Wednesday, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. was making progress in its efforts to negotiate an end to the war with Iran.

** The benchmark KOSPI .KS11 was up 170.27 points, or 3.07%, at 5,724.19 as of 0135 GMT.

** Trump said the U.S. was in negotiations with Iran now, sending U.S. stock futures higher during Asia trading hours.

** "At this point, it is appropriate to lower the possibility of the war escalating and stock markets going through a correction for a longer time," said Han Ji-young, an analyst at Kiwoom Securities.

** Among index heavyweights, chipmaker Samsung Electronics 005930.KS rose 3.06%, while peer SK Hynix 000660.KS gained 5.17%. Battery maker LG Energy Solution 373220.KS climbed 0.38%.

** Hyundai Motor 005380.KS and sister automaker Kia Corp 000270.KS were up 2.85% and 1.71%, respectively. Steelmaker POSCO Holdings 005490.KS added 0.74%, while drugmaker Samsung BioLogics 207940.KS rose 2.65%.

** Of the total 922 traded issues, 712 shares advanced, while 177 declined.

** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 297.5 billion won ($199.34 million).

** The won was quoted at 1,493.1 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform KRW=KFTC, 0.46% higher than its previous close at 1,499.9.

** In money and debt markets, June futures on three-year treasury bonds KTBc1 gained 0.18 point to 103.75.

** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield KR3YT=RR fell by 9.9 basis points to 3.465%, while the benchmark 10-year yield KR10YT=RR fell by 5.5 bps to 3.795%.

($1 = 1,492.3900 won)

(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Rashmi Aich)

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