South Korean stocks closed marginally lower Tuesday as a selling mode by foreigners offset a rally by oil refiners, analysts said. The local currency gained against the U.S. dollar.
  

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 0.72 points, or 0.04 percent, to finish at 1,951.96. Trading volume was moderate at 357.4 million shares worth 4.56 trillion won ($4.15 billion) with decliners outpacing advancers 399 to 394.
  

"We need more signs of a recovery in order for foreigners to opt for local assets that could further spur momentum in the stock market," said Jeon Ji-won, an analyst at Kiwoom Securities Co.
  

He said it's worth noting that exports seem to be back on track as the latest figures showed that shipments increased sharply among oil and chemical sectors, by 13.2 percent and 4.2 percent each last month.
  

Analysts here also projected that the global crude oil price, which has more than halved since June, may have bottomed out and be headed for a rebound.
 

Concerns over supply drove up U.S. benchmark crude to the $50 mark per barrel overnight in New York trading.
  

Oil refiners here got a boost. Top player SK Innovation soared 3.08 percent to 100,500 won, with smaller rival S-Oil surging 5.48 percent to 63,500 won.
  

Still, selling by foreign investors, worth a net 23.6 billion won, capped the KOSPI's gain, continuing their streak of unloading from last week, during which they dumped a combined 434.3 billion won.
  

Hotel Shilla Co., South Korea's leading hotel chain affiliated with Samsung Group, hiked 2.94 percent to 105,500 won on news that it is considering buying U.S. on-board duty free firm DFASS Group.
 
  
Large caps finished bearish across the board. Samsung Electronics ended down 0.15 percent to 1,366,000 won with Hyundai Motor slumping 2.92 percent to 166,000 won.
  

Institutions and retail investors were net buyers, each scooping up a net 12.1 billion won and 11.5 billion won.
  

The local currency ended at 1,097.40 won against the greenback, up 5.9 won from Monday's close.
  

Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed higher. The yield on three-year Treasurys dropped 5 basis points to 1.935 percent, with the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds also falling 5 basis points to 2.005 percent. (Yonhap)