Seoul shares gain

Seoul shares had their biggest gain in almost five months on Thursday as strong US retail sales data lifted exporters such as Hyundai Motor, offsetting some worries about a surging won that had sparked a recent sell-off.
However, the session was volatile and technically-driven, with the main KOSPI surging 1.8 percent in the last two hours of trade ahead of the expiry of stock options, stock index options and stock index futures at the end of the session.
The event, known in the market as "triple witching day", can sometimes have a big impact on South Korean markets, which have the world's most actively traded derivatives market.
"You've got a lot of programme traders trying to take advantage of the price differentials between different types of securities," said Lim Chang-gue, a fund manager at Samsung Investment Trust Management. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 2.54 percent to end at 1,418.38 points, marking its biggest one-day percentage gain since July 20.
It was also the KOSPI's highest close since December 5, although the index is still down nearly 1 percent for the month. Foreign investors bought a net 738.8 billion won ($801.6 million) in shares in the KOSPI, data at 0635 GMT showed, their biggest one-day purchase since April 11, when a big share sale of lender Shinhan Financial Group skewed the data.
Despite the purchases on Thursday, foreign investors are still net sellers of 11.05 trillion won ($11.99 billion) for the year. Exporters gained after data showed US retail sales jumped sharply in November as shoppers went on a spending spree, reinforcing the Federal Reserve's view that the cooling housing market has not hurt the rest of the US economy.
Hyundai Motor Co, the country's biggest auto maker, advanced for a third session in a row, ending up 3.2 percent at 67,800 won. LG.Philips LCD Co Ltd surged 3.91 percent to 26,550 won. Worries about the strong won and an international price-fixing probe in the flat panel sector had sent shares down 8.9 percent over the prior four sessions to a record low.
Daewoo Securities Co, the country's second-most valuable brokerage, surged 4.03 percent to 18,050 won after saying net profit in November nearly quadrupled from a weak October.