South Korean stocks advanced 0.57 percent Tuesday on hopes for China's new stimulus measures and a rally in tech heavyweights. The local currency firmed against the U.S. dollar.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index scored 11.37 points to 1,992.56. Trade volume was slim at 569.18 million shares worth 3.44 trillion won ($2.93 billion), with losers beating winners 462 to 356.

China's government on Monday called for more flexible monetary policy and fiscal spending to combat slowing growth in the world's second-largest economy as falling crude prices hold down inflation.

"The prospect for more stimulus in China boosted investor sentiment, but the strong dollar and uncertainties surrounding the crude prices are expected to contribute to downward pressure for a while," Kim Sung-hwan, an analyst at Bookook Securities, said.

Offshore investors continued to dump a net 7.9 billion won, extending their selling streak to a 15th straight session, while institutions scooped up 224 billion won worth of local stocks.

Tech shares rallied to support the overall market.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics increased 0.94 percent to 1,292,000 won, and SK hynix, the world's second-largest chipmaker, soared 5.57 percent to 32,200 won.

Petrochemicals continued their rally on hopes that cheap oil prices could increase their cracking margins down the road. Crude oil prices fell to the weakest level in 11 years amid a global supply glut and the strengthening greenback.

Top refiner SK Innovation increased 1.13 percent to 134,500 won, and No. 3 S-Oil jumped 3.97 percent to 81,200 won.

Daewoo Securities, a major brokerage house, tumbled 6.82 percent to 10,250 won as state-run Korea Development Bank put up a 43 percent stake in the brokerage firm for sale.

Doosan Infracore, the maker of construction equipment under Doosan Group, fell 9.46 percent to 5,040 won after the company put its machine tool unit up for sale.

The local currency ended at 1,173.3 won against the greenback, up 4.3 won from Friday's close.

Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed lower. The yield on three-year Treasurys added 1.4 basis points to 1.672 percent and the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds gained 0.9 basis point to 1.836 percent. (Yonhap)