South Korean shares set for first weekly gain in three

LG Energy Solution

20/03/2026 04:37

KOSPI rises, foreigners net sellers

Korean won weakens against dollar

South Korea benchmark bond yield rises

SEOUL, March 20 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

** South Korean shares rose on Friday and were set to log their first weekly gain in three, supported by bargain hunting for technology stocks, which outweighed concerns over the Iran war.

** The won weakened, while the benchmark bond yield rose.

** The benchmark KOSPI .KS11 was up 32.66 points, or 0.57%, at 5,795.88 as of 0411 GMT. It gained 5.5% for the week and 37.53% this year so far.

** Among index heavyweights, chipmaker SK Hynix 000660.KS rose 0.5%. Battery maker LG Energy Solution 373220.KS climbed 0.67%.

** Hyundai Motor 005380.KS and sister automaker Kia Corp 000270.KS were up 0.38% and down 0.53%, respectively. Steelmaker POSCO Holdings 005490.KS added 1.04%, while drugmaker Samsung BioLogics 207940.KS rose 1.45%.

** Of the total 927 traded issues, 760 shares advanced, while 146 declined.

** South Korean authorities said on Friday that Iranian attacks on Qatar's energy facilities raise uncertainty, but downplayed concerns about disruption to its liquefied natural gas supply, citing alternative sources.

** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 1,545.1 billion won ($1.03 billion).

** The won was quoted at 1,497.9 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform KRW=KFTC, 0.19% lower than its previous close of 1,495.0.

** In offshore trading, the won KRW= was quoted at 1,497.5 per dollar, down 0.5% on the day. Its one-month non-deliverable forward contract KRW1MNDFOR= was quoted at 1,495.3.

** The won has weakened 3.9% against the dollar so far this year.

** In money and debt markets, June futures on three-year treasury bonds KTBc1 lost 0.18 point to 104.02.

** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield KR3YT=RR rose by 7.1 basis points to 3.397%, while the benchmark 10-year yield KR10YT=RR rose by 0.3 basis points to 3.697%.

($1 = 1,497.6300 won)

(Reporting by Cynthia Kim; Editing by Harikrishnan Nair)

((Cynthia.Kim@thomsonreuters.com; 822 3704 5655; Reuters Messaging: cynthia.kim.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net/))