South Korea Stocks Rally Nearly 10 Percent

South Korean stocks rebounded sharply on Thursday, with the KOSPI rising 490.36 points (9.63%) to close at 5,583.9, marking the largest point gain in its history. The surge followed signs of easing oil-price pressure tied to the Iran conflict, heavy trading (1.6 billion shares, 44.8 trillion won) and a five-minute buy-side sidecar by the Korea Exchange. Individual investors bought a net 1.79 trillion won while foreigners and institutions sold.