Seoul shares ended up 0.9 percent on Wednesday, drawing support from gains in technology and banking stocks and continued buying by foreign investors. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) ended up 0.93 percent or 19.25 points at 2,091.38 points.
Foreign investors purchased a net 491.9 billion Korean won ($442.6 mln) worth of stocks, their biggest daily purchase in nearly three months. Wednesday marked their 11th straight buying session, the longest buying streak in more than six months. Crude oil refiners dipped following recent sharp gains.
Shares in S-Oil fell 4.7 percent after seeing a 48.4 percent gain over the past month, and SK Innovation finished down 3.6 percent after rising 25.4 percent in the same period. Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co Ltd, the world's No 2 shipyard, advanced 4.2 percent after its senior executive said Japan's lost nuclear capacity could be a catalyst to strong LNG orders ahead. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd climbed 4.6 percent.
Shares in SK Telecom underperformed, edging up 0.3 percent, after news the country's top mobile carrier was considering investing in bankrupt US video rental chain Blockbuster Inc. Carmakers rose on the back of positive earnings hopes, with the country's top automaker Hyundai Motor touching a new record high and ending up 1.45 percent.