Seoul: South Korean stocks closed higher Friday, marking a second consecutive session of gains as semiconductor shares rallied following overnight increases on Wall Street. Concurrently, the local currency appreciated against the U.S. dollar.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) climbed 184.03 points, or 2.52 percent, to conclude at 7,475.94. The KOSPI, which opened over 3 percent higher, surged up to 5.7 percent during the trading session, activating a buy-side sidecar that briefly paused program trading in KOSPI-listed shares for five minutes. This was the third time the trading curb was triggered this week.

Investor sentiment received a boost after U.S. stocks saw gains overnight, driven by a robust rebound in semiconductor shares and a decrease in oil prices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.27 percent, while the S and P 500 rose by 0.81 percent. The Nasdaq Composite, known for its technology stocks, climbed 1.3 percent.

In Seoul, large-cap stocks ended the session broadly higher. Samsung Electronics, a major player in the semiconductor market, increased by 2.52 percent to 285,000 won. However, its competitor SK hynix saw a slight decline of 0.27 percent, closing at 2.18 million won.

The Korean won strengthened, being quoted at 1,501.4 won against the U.S. dollar at 3:30 p.m., reflecting an increase of 4.7 won from the previous session.