[DigitalToday reporter Sangyeop Oh (오상엽)] South Korea's KOSPI rose in early trading on Tuesday to climb back above the 7,000 level. It had retreated below 7,000 in the previous session after topping 7,100 intraday and coming under profit-taking pressure, but buying returned on semiconductor shares including SK Hynix, as the index again tried to secure a foothold above 7,000.

As of 9:09 a.m., the KOSPI was up 53.25 points, or 0.77 percent, at 7,007.77 from the previous close. The index opened up 18.35 points, or 0.26 percent, at 6,972.87.

On Monday, the KOSPI climbed as high as 7,100 intraday, but selling intensified in the afternoon and it finished in the 6,900 range. With the index back above 7,000, attention is focused on whether it can break through a key resistance level.

In the main KOSPI market, retail investors were net buyers of 63.9 billion won. Foreigners and institutions were net sellers of 69.4 billion won and 33.4 billion won, respectively.

Among the top stocks by market capitalisation, SK Hynix was trading up 1.34 percent at 1,817,000 won. Samsung Electronics was flat at 269,500 won.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics was up 2.48 percent, while LG Energy Solution rose 0.43 percent. Hyundai Motor gained 0.52 percent and Samsung Biologics added 0.49 percent.

SK Square fell 0.27 percent, while Samsung C&T lost 0.39 percent. KB Financial Group was down 0.23 percent.

The Kosdaq was also higher. At the same time, the Kosdaq was up 10.13 points, or 1.25 percent, at 822.01.

In the Seoul foreign exchange market, the won was 3.00 won, or 0.22 percent, stronger at 1,338.50 per dollar from the previous session.

Han Ji-young (한지영), a researcher at Kiwoom Securities, forecast that the upper end of the index range could be capped by rising tensions between the United States and Iran and a reassessment of the U.S. Federal Reserve's tightening, despite strength in U.S. semiconductor shares. She also cited heavy selling by retail investors around the KOSPI's 7,000 level recently as a short-term resistance factor.