Financial, automotive, and battery material gains push Seoul stocks higher at the close.

Automakers, battery materials businesses, and financial institutions were the day's top gainers on the South Korean stock market. The domestic currency depreciated versus the dollar.

After gaining 3.99 points, or 0.16 percent, the Korea Composite Stock Price Index ended the day at 2,575.08.

Gainers outnumbered losers 596 to 276 during the day's heavy trading of 933 million shares worth 12.4 trillion won ($9.4 billio....