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Kospi closes up 0.38% as investors moved cautiously ahead of U.S. job data

Published: 03 Sep. 2025, 17:28

A screen in Hana Bank's trading room in central Seoul shows the Kospi opening on Sept. 3. [NEWS1]

Korean stocks closed higher on Wednesday as investors searched for momentum ahead of key U.S. employment data set to be revealed later this week. The Korean won fell against the dollar.

The Kospi added 12.07 points, or 0.38 percent, to close at 3,184.42.

Trade volume was moderate at 321.7 million shares worth 8.6 trillion won ($6.2 billion). Winners outnumbered losers 502 to 370.

Foreigners were net buyers for a second consecutive session, purchasing 435 billion won. Institutional investors sold off a net 375.6 billion won and retail investors offloaded a net 154.6 billion won.

Lee Kyoung-min, an analyst at Daishin Securities, said the Kospi's rise was limited as investors took a wait-and-see approach amid tariff-related uncertainties and the U.S. employment data for August set to be released on Friday.

Semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and nuclear shares led the gains.

Top cap Samsung Electronics advanced 1.01 percent to 69,800 won, while rival SK hynix added 0.77 percent to 262,500 won.

Pharmaceutical firm Samsung Biologics moved up 1.5 percent to 1,012,000 won, and nuclear power plant builder Doosan Enerbility jumped 3.31 percent to 62,400 won.

Shipbuilding shares lost ground as investors went profit taking.

Hanwha Ocean shed 4.46 percent to 117,700 won, and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries slid 1.75 percent to 505,000 won.

The Korean won was quoted at 1,392.3 won against the greenback as of 3:30 p.m., up 0.09 percent from the previous session's quote of 1,391.0 won.

Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed lower. The yield on three-year Treasurys added 2.5 basis points to 2.475 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds went up 3.5 basis points to 2.654 percent.

Yonhap