(LEAD) Seoul stocks rebound nearly 3 pct amid hopes for Hormuz Strait reopening | Yonhap News Agency

## Summary
OK (ATTN: ADDS bond yields at bottom) SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks soared by nearly 3 percent Friday, as Iran's discussions with Oman on a protocol to monitor traffic through the Strait of Hormuz boosted hopes of easing oil supply disruptions despite heightened tensions in the Middle East. Korean currency rises amid hopes for Strait of Hormuz reopening (2nd LD) Lee, Macron discuss cooperation on Middle East crisis Gov't to exempt tariffs on increased shipping costs for Hormuz reroutes S. Korea joins Britain-led ministerial meeting on Strait of Hormuz Keywords #KOSPI Articles with issue keywords Most Liked Oscar-winning 'KPop Demon Hunters' directors promise 'bigger,' more 'eventful' sequel Paik Kun-woo, at 80, says 'Music chose me' (LEAD) BTS scores 7th No. 1 album on Billboard 200 with 'Arirang' Liberal ex-prime minister to declare mayoral bid in conservative stronghold (URGENT) BTS earns 7th No. 1 song on the Billboard singles chart with 'Swim' Most Saved Oscar-winning 'KPop Demon Hunters' directors promise 'bigger,' more 'eventful' sequel Paik Kun-woo, at 80, says 'Music chose me' Liberal ex-prime minister to declare mayoral bid in conservative stronghold (LEAD) S. Korea N.K. leader inspects service facilities at new housing area prev (LEAD) Seoul stocks rebound nearly 3 pct amid hopes for Hormuz Strait reopening Next (LEAD) Seoul stocks rebound nearly 3 pct amid hopes for Hormuz Strait reopening

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(ATTN: ADDS bond yields at bottom)
SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks soared by nearly 3 percent Friday, as Iran's discussions with Oman on a protocol to monitor traffic through the Strait of Hormuz boosted hopes of easing oil supply disruptions despite heightened tensions in the Middle East. The Korean won strengthened sharply against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 143.25 points, or 2.74 percent, to 5,377.30, rebounding from sharp losses in the previous session.
Trading volume was moderate at 1.12 billion shares, with a total value of 22.13 trillion won (US$14.69 billion), as gainers outnumbered losers 664 to 224.
Foreign and institutional investors bought a net 814.57 billion won and 716.93 billion won worth of shares, respectively, while individuals sold a net 2.09 trillion won worth of shares.
The rebound followed news that Tehran was drafting a protocol with Oman to monitor maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, raising hope of progress toward reopening the waterway.
The strategic waterway has effectively been shut since the outbreak of war in the Middle East in late February, driving up global oil prices due to supply disruptions.
Dozens of countries are also seeking ways to resume shipments through the Strait of Hormuz after U.S. President Donald Trump warned of an "extremely hard" attack on Iran within the next two to three weeks, while urging countries that rely on the key shipping route for energy imports to "take care of" it themselves.
"Iran has said the measure is intended to ensure safety and improve services, suggesting that the blockade of the waterway may be easing," Seo Sang-young, a researcher at Mirae Asset Securities, said.
Officials work at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul on April 3, 2026. (Yonhap)
Top-cap shares finished mixed.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics surged 4.37 percent to 186,200 won, while chip giant SK hynix soared 5.54 percent to 876,000 won.
Defense giant Hanwha Aerospace climbed 2.26 percent to 1,449,000 won, and artificial intelligence investment firm SK Square went up 2.88 percent to 483,000 won. Nuclear power plant builder Doosan Enerbility jumped 3.21 percent to 96,600 won.
Shipbuilders gathered ground. Local industry leader HD Hyundai Heavy spiked 9.23 percent to 479,000 won, and its rival Hanwha Ocean went up 7.29 percent to 128,000 won.
Carmakers finished mixed. Top automaker Hyundai Motor advanced 1.18 percent to 471,000 won, while its affiliate Kia fell 0.27 percent to 150,200 won.
Leading battery maker LG Energy Solution fell 1.48 percent to 398,500 won, and bio giant Samsung Biologics lost 1.96 percent to 1,554,000 won. Leading financial firm KB Financial shed 0.68 percent to 145,500 won.
The local currency was quoted at 1,505.2 won against the U.S. dollar as of 3:30 p.m., up 14.5 won from the previous session.
Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed higher. The yield on three-year Treasurys fell 2.9 basis points to 3.448 percent, while the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds shed 5.7 basis points to 3.622 percent.
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)
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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- The rebound followed news that Tehran was drafting a protocol with Oman to monitor maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, raising hope of progress toward reopening the waterway.

### Areas for Consideration
- Korea joins Britain-led ministerial meeting on Strait of Hormuz Keywords #KOSPI Articles with issue keywords Most Liked Oscar-winning 'KPop Demon Hunters' directors promise 'bigger,' more 'eventful' sequel Paik Kun-woo, at 80, says 'Music chose me' (LEAD) BTS scores 7th No. 1 album on Billboard 200 with 'Arirang' Liberal ex-prime minister to declare mayoral bid in conservative stronghold (URGENT) BTS earns 7th No. 1 song on the Billboard singles chart with 'Swim' Most Saved Oscar-winning 'KPop Demon Hunters' directors promise 'bigger,' more 'eventful' sequel Paik Kun-woo, at 80, says 'Music chose me' Liberal ex-prime minister to declare mayoral bid in conservative stronghold (LEAD) S.

### Implications
- President Donald Trump warned of an "extremely hard" attack on Iran within the next two to three weeks, while urging countries that rely on the key shipping route for energy imports to "take care of" it themselves. "Iran has said the measure is intended to ensure safety and improve services, suggesting that the blockade of the waterway may be easing," Seo Sang-young, a researcher at Mirae Asset Securities, said.
- Korea joins Britain-led ministerial meeting on Strait of Hormuz Keywords #KOSPI Articles with issue keywords Most Liked Oscar-winning 'KPop Demon Hunters' directors promise 'bigger,' more 'eventful' sequel Paik Kun-woo, at 80, says 'Music chose me' (LEAD) BTS scores 7th No. 1 album on Billboard 200 with 'Arirang' Liberal ex-prime minister to declare mayoral bid in conservative stronghold (URGENT) BTS earns 7th No. 1 song on the Billboard singles chart with 'Swim' Most Saved Oscar-winning 'KPop Demon Hunters' directors promise 'bigger,' more 'eventful' sequel Paik Kun-woo, at 80, says 'Music chose me' Liberal ex-prime minister to declare mayoral bid in conservative stronghold (LEAD) S.
- Korea co-sponsors U.N. resolution on N.K. human rights (LEAD) Trump calls on countries to 'go get your own oil' from Strait of Hormuz, or buy it from U.S.
- Most Viewed All Categories (LEAD) Trump says U.S. will hit Iran 'extremely hard' over next 2 to 3 weeks (LEAD) Lee, Macron hold summit to discuss bilateral cooperation (LEAD) Lee hosts dinner for France's Macron ahead of summit (LEAD) Lee reaffirms commitment to regain wartime command in meeting with U.S. lawmakers BTS to drop 'Come Over,' exclusive new track on 'Arirang' LP Most Viewed More Most Viewed Photos New school year begins in N.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers won, percent, hormuz topics. Notable strengths include discussion of won. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 811.