Seoul shares extended their rally for a fifth straight session Thursday, setting another record high as gains in shipbuilding and defense shares offset profit‑taking.
 
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index(KOSPI) gained one-point-31 points, or zero-point-03 percent, to close at four-thousand-552-point-37.
 
Trading volume was moderate at 429-point-55 million shares worth 26-point-76 trillion won, about 18-point-four billion U.S. dollars, with decliners outnumbering gainers 728 to 175.
 
Analysts said the KOSPI could test the four‑thousand‑600 level depending on upcoming fourth‑quarter earnings, and that the tech rally is likely to continue due to strong chip demand amid the artificial intelligence boom.
 
Shipbuilding and defense stocks led Thursday’s gains. 
 
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries jumped four-point-49 percent, while Hanwha Aerospace surged seven-point-92 percent. Korea Aerospace Industries rose four-point-92 percent.

Among decliners, Samsung Electronics slipped one-point-56 percent to 138-thousand-800 won despite projecting record fourth‑quarter earnings. 
 
Hyundai Motor lost two-point-85 percent to 340-thousand-500 won.
 
The tech-heavy KOSDAQ fell three-point-33 points, or zero-point-35 percent, to close at 944-point-06.
 
The South Korean won weakened against the U.S. dollar by four-point-eight won, trading at one-thousand-450-point-six won as of 3:30 p.m.