Seoul, June 20
South Korea's key stock index breached the 3,000-point mark for the first time in more than three years on early Friday morning, driven by gains in big-cap tech shares.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) had risen 31.84 points, or 1.07 percent, to 3,009.58 as of 11:15 a.m. It marked the first time the KOSPI hit the 3,000-point threshold since Jan. 3, 2022, reports news agency.
KOSPI surpassed the mark for the first time ever in its history on January 6, 2021.
Tech behemoth Samsung Electronics gained 0.84 percent, while its chipmaking rival SK hynix jumped 3.25 percent.
Bio shares were strong, with Samsung Biologics up 1.8 percent and Celltrion gaining 1.87 percent.
Leading battery maker LG Energy Solution soared 3.78 percent, and defense giant Hanwha Aerospace went up 1.71 percent.
Kakao, the operator of the country's dominant mobile messenger, surged 3.48 percent, and major shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy advanced 2.21 percent.
But nuclear power plant manufacturer Doosan Enerbility slipped 1.97 percent, and HD Korea Shipbuilding dropped 1.45 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,373.6 won against the greenback at 11:15 a.m., up 6.6 won from the previous session.