Seoul shares rise 0.76 pct on tech, auto gains

(ATTN: ADDS bond yields at bottom)
SEOUL, May 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks inched up 0.76 percent on Friday as gains in tech and auto shares overshadowed falls in brokerages and builders, analysts said. The local currency rose against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) climbed 15.99 points to 2,111.50. Trading volume was moderate at 280 million shares worth 6.1 trillion won (US$5.63 billion) with gainers outpacing losers 460 to 354.
"The market staged a technical rebound from Thursday's steep fall. The Seoul bourse may trade in a narrow range next week with a possibility of logging a modest gain," said Kwak Joong-bo, a market analyst at Samsung Securities Co.
After the KOSPI plunged 1.89 percent on Thursday on heavy foreign selling, it gained some ground on institutional buying. But offshore investors remained net sellers for the seventh consecutive session, dumping a net 119 billion won on the main bourse.
Chemical producers and refiners dropped due to foreign sell-offs. Top refiner SK Innovation fell 0.91 percent to 218,000 won and leading chemical maker LG Chem shed 0.99 percent to 502,000 won.
Securities stocks and builders also were under selling pressure. Leading brokerage Samsung Securities lost 2.25 percent to 78,300 won and top builder Hyundai Engineering & Construction fell 1.26 percent to 78,400 won.
But tech and automakers were in focus. Chip giant Hynix Semiconductor added 2.06 percent to 32,200 won and market leader Samsung Electronics advanced 0.23 percent to 882,000 won.
Lifted by good earnings momentum, top automaker Hyundai Motor climbed 3.21 percent to 241,000 won and its affiliate Kia Motors inched up 0.97 percent to 72,500 won.
The local currency ended at 1,082.80 won to the dollar, up 3.4 won from Thursday's close, even after the government said a day earlier that it will move to curb rising short-term overseas borrowing in a bid to stem the won's ascent, dealers said.
Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed mixed. The yield on three-year Treasuries ended flat at 3.62 percent while the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds finished fell 0.01 percentage point to 3.95 percent.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr