South Korean stocks rose on March 15, as investors awaited the latest progress in trade talks between the United States and China, analysts said. The local currency fell against the greenback.

The benchmark Kospi gained a solid 20.43 points, or 0.95 percent, to close at 2,176.11. Trading volume was moderate at 373.55 million shares worth 6.29 trillion won ($5.54 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 481 to 352.  

Institutions scooped up a net 609 billion won worth of local stocks to support the broader market. Foreigners and retail investors offloaded a net 114.1 billion won and 497 billion won, respectively.

The local currency closed at 1,137.30 won against the US dollar, down 2.50 won from the previous session.

By Ram Garikipati and newswires (ram@heraldcorp.com)