South Korean stocks edged up in choppy trading on Tuesday as investors reassessed positions in the aftermath of last week's steep gains inspired by the US Federal Reserve. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed 0.13 percent higher at 2,004.96 points, after fluctuating between positive and negative territory throughout the day.
Foreign investors and local institutional investors net purchased a combined 55.8 billion won ($50 million) worth of KOSPI shares on Tuesday, buttressing the main board against net selling by retail investors. Bluechips saw a mixed session, with market heavyweight Samsung Electronics erasing earlier gains to close flat, while Hyundai Motor added 0.2 percent.
Pharmaceutical stocks gained, with Hanmi Pharm advancing 2.7 percent while Yuhan Corp rose 1.4 percent. Gainers outnumbered decliners 452 to 357. The KOSPI 200 benchmark of core stocks closed up 0.1 percent, while the junior KOSDAQ rose 0.9 percent.