Seoul shares extend gaining streak

Seoul shares reversed earlier falls to end up on Friday, extending their gaining streak to a seventh straight session, buoyed by firm gains in telecommunications issues like SK Telecom. Foreign investors were buyers of a net 37.4 billion won ($32.4 million) worth of stocks, and pension funds purchased a net 186.4 billion won, picking up stocks for a seventh straight session.
The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) finished up 0.67 percent at 1,835.40 points. Shares in SK Telecom, South Korea's top mobile phone operator, climbed 2.9 percent and KT&G , a tobacco and ginseng producer, surged 3 percent. The KOSPI 200 spot index gained 0.66 percent to 239.67 points and the junior Kosdaq market rose 0.07 percent to 473.89 points.