South Korean stocks ended nearly unchanged Tuesday amid China's worse-than-expected economic data. The Korean won fell against the U.S. dollar.
After starting a tad higher, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index finished up 0.89 point, or 0.04 percent, to 2,480.24.
Trading volume was heavy at 617 million shares worth 7.96 trillion won (US$5.94 billion), with decliners outnumbering gainers 564 to 302.
Foreigners bought 226.2 billion won worth of local stocks, while individuals and institutions dumped a combined 183.2 billion won.
"The local stock market opened higher on overnight gains on Wall Street, and swerved in and out from negative terrain on China's economic data," Han Ji-young from Kiwoom Securities Co. said.
Earlier in the day, China announced that its industrial output rose 5.6 percent on-year in April and retail sales gained 18.4 percent, both missing market expectations.
In Seoul, chip, chemical and banking sectors ended higher, while carmakers, telcos and internet portal operators lost ground.
Top cap Samsung Electronics, talso the world's largest memory chipmaker, rose 1.4 percent to 65,400 won, and its local rival SK hynix advanced 4.63 percent to 90.400 won.
Leading chemicals firm LG Chem added 0.58 percent to 695,000 won, and top refinery SK Innovation climbed 0.57 percent to 177,000 won.
Hana Financial Group went up 0.73 percent to 41,450 won, and KB Financial Group gained 1.02 percent to 49,300 won.
But top carmaker Hyundai Motor retreated 2.64 percent to 202,500 won, and its affiliate Kia fell 3 percent to 87,300 won.
Mobile carriers SK Telecom and KT dropped 1.59 percent and 2.5 percent to 49,600 won and 31,200 won, respectively.
Leading internet portal operator Naver dropped 2.12 percent to 207,500 won, and its rival Kakao skidded 1.23 percent to 56,100 won.
The local currency ended at 1,338.55 won against the U.S. dollar, down 1.55 won from the previous session's close.
Source: Yonhap News Agency