The South Korean won rose against the dollar on Monday, but gains were limited as foreign investors kept selling local stocks and as traders took to the sidelines in a holiday mood, dealers said. The won ended local trade up 0.1 percent at 939.4/9.9 per dollar from the previous closing bid of 940.3.
"The market showed a typical holiday pattern, and there was little news to break the silence," said a foreign bank dealer. The market will be closed on Tuesday for Christmas, and will resume trading on Wednesday. Seoul stock market's benchmark KOSPI finished 2.2 percent higher as robust US spending data eased worries about the world's largest economy, but foreign investors were net sellers of local stocks for a 10th consecutive session.