Seoul shares finished a volatile session modestly higher on Tuesday, with a rally in shipbuilders and chemicals offsetting profit taking in large caps. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed up 0.2 percent at 2,051.76 points on Tuesday, underpinned by persistent foreign buying interest. Foreigners purchased a net 103.6 billion won ($97.64 million) of local shares on Tuesday, extending a net buying streak to a record 43 consecutive sessions.
Shipbuilders and chemicals outperformed, with Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd and Lotte Chemical Corp rising 1.5 percent and 4.9 percent, respectively. SK Hynix Inc slipped 3.5 percent on profit taking, even after posting record quarterly profits, reflecting sharp gains made recently.