KOSPI rose more than 1 percent on Tuesday to reclaim the 7,000 level. It climbed as high as the 7,100 level during the session. Institutional buying and gains in semiconductor and secondary battery stocks lifted the index.

KOSPI ended up 97.12 points, or 1.40 percent, at 7,051.64. It opened up 18.35 points, or 0.26 percent, at 6,972.87.

The index extended gains from early trading and climbed as high as the 7,100 level during the session. It regained the 7,000 level on a closing basis a day after it rose above 7,000 during intraday trade but slipped back to 6,954.52.

In the main bourse, institutions were net buyers of 941.7 billion won. Individuals and foreigners were net sellers of 2.29 trillion won and 435.0 billion won, respectively.

Among the top stocks by market capitalisation, SK Hynix closed up 3.51 percent at 1,856,000 won. Samsung Electronics ended flat at 269,500 won.

LG Energy Solution rose 6.46 percent, Samsung Electro-Mechanics gained 2.48 percent, Hyundai Motor added 0.78 percent, Samsung Biologics advanced 0.83 percent and SK Square climbed 0.62 percent.

KB Financial Group fell 0.98 percent and Samsung C&T dropped 1.57 percent.

KOSDAQ also rose. It ended up 18.49 points, or 2.28 percent, at 830.37.

In the Seoul foreign exchange market, the won was 5.10 won higher against the dollar at 1,336.40 at the close.

KOSPI has recently continued to fluctuate around the 7,000 level.

On Monday, it rose as high as 7,171.52 during the session, topping the 7,000 level for the first time in 15 trading sessions, but fell back below 7,000 in afternoon trade as profit-taking emerged.

With the index reclaiming the 7,000 level again on a closing basis, whether it settles there has emerged as a point to watch.

Han Ji-young (한지영), a researcher at Kiwoom Securities, said, "The current leveling near the 7,000 level is less likely to be the upper end of this recovery trend and more strongly reflects a change-of-hands zone in which foreigners and institutions absorb individuals' large-scale selling." Han said, "It is right to view resistance at the 7,000 level as a supply-demand-driven process of digesting overhang that must be passed through for further gains in share prices."