South Korean stocks rose for the second straight session on May 31 as the central bank said the economy is recovering. The local currency fell against the US dollar.

The benchmark Kospi edged up 2.94 points, or 0.14 percent, to 2041.74. Trading volume was moderate at 426 million shares worth 4.8 trillion won ($4.3 billion), with gainers outnumbering decliners 485 to 348.

The Korean won closed at 1,190.90 won against the US dollar, down 2.10 won from the previous session.

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