Seoul: Stocks climb on foreign buying; Samsung Electronics hits record high

[SEOUL] South Korean shares rose on Thursday as foreign investors accelerated purchases later in the session.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) closed 0.6 per cent higher, at 2,055.47.

Offshore investors bought a net 195.4 billion won (S$239 million) worth of Kospi shares.

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd shares rose as much as 5 per cent to a record intraday high on hopes of continued recovery in earnings, before closing 4.7 per cent higher at 1,640,000 won, also a record closing high.

The South Korean won held steady and was quoted at 1,107.2 to the US dollar at the conclusion of onshore trade, up 0.1 per cent compared with Wednesday's close of 1,108.3.

REUTERS