S. Korea's KOSPI tops 3,000 for 1st time in history

SEOUL, Jan. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's main stock index breached the 3,000 mark for the first time Wednesday, as investors bet on the stock rally amid optimism over an economic recovery. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 31.79 points, or 1.06 percent, to 3,022.36 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. The KOSPI opened sharply higher after closing at an all-time high in the past six sessions in a row, boosting investor sentiment. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics gained 0.36 percent, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix jumped 3.83 percent. Leading chemical firm LG Chem moved up 1.34 percent, and rechargeable battery maker Samsung SDI advanced 1.17 percent. Pharmaceutical firm Samsung Biologics edged up 0.12 percent, and Celltrion rose 0.56 percent. Internet portal Naver went up 2.05 percent, with its rival Kakao leaping 3.82 percent. Top automaker Hyundai Motor lost 0.48 percent, and leading steelmaker POSCO climbed 0.53 percent. The local currency was trading at 1,086.8 won against the U.S. dollar, up 0.8 won from the previous session's close. jwc@yna.co.kr (END)