South Korea's KOSPI rose more than 3 percent on Tuesday and climbed to the 6,570 level. Foreign investors net bought more than 2.8 trillion won as buying focused on chip heavyweights such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, triggering a buy sidecar during the session.

The KOSPI closed up 233.51 points, or 3.68 percent, at 6,579.04. It opened up 92.97 points, or 1.47 percent, at 6,438.50 and rose as high as 6,668.43 during the session.

With the index rising rapidly in intraday trade, the main board market triggered a buy sidecar that halts the effect of program buy orders for five minutes.

By investor type, foreigners led the gains with net purchases of 2.8357 trillion won. Institutions also net bought 528.4 billion won. Individuals, meanwhile, net sold 3.1920 trillion won as they moved to take profits.

Most of the top market-cap stocks gained. Samsung Electronics rose 6.68 percent to 255,500 won and SK Hynix added 5.54 percent to 1,504,000 won.

SK Square gained 8.36 percent, Hanwha Aerospace rose 5.28 percent, Samsung Life climbed 4.49 percent, Hyundai Motor added 1.61 percent and LG Energy Solution rose 1.13 percent.

Samsung Biologics, however, fell 3.73 percent to close at 1,549,000 won.

The KOSPI's strength was largely driven by a heavy inflow of foreign funds into chip heavyweights. After Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix jumped together, SK Square and Samsung Electro-Mechanics also rose sharply, spreading buying across the broader electrical and electronics sector.

The KOSDAQ, which has shown strong gains recently, remained only slightly higher. It closed up 1.07 points, or 0.12 percent, at 858.91.

In the Seoul foreign exchange market, the won stood at 1,416.70 per dollar, down 3.20 won from the previous session.

The day's trading showed demand that had recently spread to the KOSDAQ and small- and mid-cap stocks shifting back to the KOSPI led by chip heavyweights. The KOSPI rose more than 3 percent on heavy foreign net buying, while gains in the KOSDAQ were limited.

Han Ji-young (한지영), a researcher at Kiwoom Securities, said: "It is disappointing that the KOSPI's recent volatility momentum is not strong, but it is necessary to place weight on the fact that abnormal volatility, which had caused confusion in betting on the market's direction, is normalising ahead of stock prices."