South Korea shares rise on chip rally

SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS

31/08/2026 09:00

KOSPI rises, foreigners net sellers
Korean won strengthens against dollar
South Korea benchmark bond yield rises
SEOUL, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
South Korean shares rose on Monday, led by gains in chipmakers, as investors awaited August trade data, while hawkish comments from Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh that boosted U.S. rate hike expectations capped further gains.
The won strengthened, while the benchmark bond yield rose. ** The benchmark KOSPI .KS11 closed up 31.14 points, or 0.46%, at 6,820.02. ** Among index heavyweights, chipmaker Samsung Electronics 005930.KS rose 1.17%, while peer SK Hynix 000660.KS gained 1.27%. Battery maker LG Energy Solution 373220.KS climbed 2.16%. ** Hyundai Motor 005380.KS and sister automaker Kia Corp 000270.KS were up 1% and up 2.34%, respectively. Steelmaker POSCO Holdings 005490.KS added 0.30%, while drugmaker Samsung BioLogics 207940.KS rose 2.15%.
** South Korea's exports and imports data for August are due on September 1, Tuesday.     
** The U.S. central bank will "have work to do" if policymakers don't get the confidence they need that inflation is heading down to 2%, Warsh said on Friday, coming closer than he has to acknowledging rate hikes may be needed to ease price pressures. ** Of the total 909 traded issues, 366 shares advanced, while 489 declined. ** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 639.8 billion won. ** The won was quoted at 1,370.1 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform KRW=KFTC, 0.69% higher than its previous close at 1,379.5. ** In offshore trading, the won KRW= was quoted at 1,370.2 per dollar, up 0.5% on the day, while in non-deliverable forward trading, its one-month contract KRW1MNDFOR= was quoted at 1,370.2. ** The KOSPI has risen 61.84% so far this year. ** The won has strengthened 5.1% against the dollar so far this year. ** In money and debt markets, September futures on three-year treasury bonds KTBc1 lost 0.11 point to 103.23. ** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield KR3YT=RR rose 2.4 basis points to 3.822%, while the benchmark 10-year yield KR10YT=RR rose 3.9 bps to 4.313%.

 (Reporting by Cynthia Kim; Editing by Sonia Cheema)
 ((Cynthia.Kim@thomsonreuters.com; 822 3704 5655; Reuters Messaging: cynthia.kim.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))