SEOUL: Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
South Korean stocks close higher for second session
South Korean shares edged lower on Friday, after three consecutive sessions of gains, as traders maintained a cautious stance ahead of a planned parliamentary vote to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The won weakened, while the benchmark bond yield rose. ** The benchmark KOSPI was down 4.08 points, or 0.16%, at 2,478.04, as of 0146 GMT.
South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said the best way to restore order in the country is to impeach the president, a day ahead of a planned parliamentary vote over Yoon’s short-lived imposition of martial law.
South Korea’s finance ministry said authorities will deploy more measures to stabilise markets if volatility heightens excessively after the voting result on Saturday.
Among index heavyweights, chipmaker Samsung Electronics was flat, while peer SK Hynix lost 1.14% and battery maker LG Energy Solution slid 3.34%.
Shares of Hyundai Motor were flat, while sister automaker Kia Corp lost 0.10%. Search engine Naver and instant messenger Kakao were up 0.48% and 4.46%, respectively.
Of the total 937 traded issues, 458 shares advanced, while 412 declined.
Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 138.4 billion won ($96.61 million).
The won was quoted at 1,432.2 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.12% lower than its previous close at 1,430.5.
In money and debt markets, December futures on three-year treasury bonds rose 0.01 point to 106.72.
The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield was flat at 2.551%, while the benchmark 10-year yield rose 1.0 basis points to 2.710%.