South Korean shares rebounded in four sessions on Thursday as upbeat exports result in China boosted sentiment that the global economy was recovering.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 5. 64 points, or 0.3 percent, to close at 1,883.97. Trading volume stood at 334 million shares worth 3.6 trillion won (3.24 billion U. S. dollars).

China's exports gained 5.1 percent in July from a year earlier, beating market consensus of around percent. Trade surplus reduced last month, but imports jumped 10.9 percent, boosting expectations that demand in the world's second-largest economy was growing.

Upbeat trade data in China eased concerns over an early exit of U.S. quantitative easing caused by recent remarks by several Fed officials.

Foreign investors sold a net 165.9 billion won worth of local shares amid worries about the early U.S. exit. They maintained their selling streak for three straight sessions.

Retail and institutional investors purchased stocks worth 35.2 billion won and 124.7 billion won each following the positive Chinese trade data.

Large-cap shares ended mixed. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics fell 0.4 percent, and memory chip giant SK Hynix slid 1.3 percent. Top automaker Hyundai Motor ended flat, but its affiliate Kia Motors closed slightly higher.

Hyundai Merchant Marine, a local shipping firm and the largest shareholder of Hyundai Asan, surged at the daily permissible limit of 15 percent on news that Seoul and Pyongyang agreed to hold working-level talks next week to reopen the Kaesong industrial complex.

Hyundai Asan is an operator of Mount Kumgang tours that have been halted since 2008 when a South Korean female tourist was shot dead after apparently venturing into an off-limit area.

The South Korean currency finished at 1,113.0 won against the greenback, up 5.7 won from Wednesday's close.

Bond prices ended higher. The yield on the liquid three-year treasury notes lost 0.02 percentage point to 2.92 percent, and the return on the benchmark 10-year government bonds fell 0.01 percentage point to 3.58 percent. Endi

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