Seoul shares closed higher Thursday, helped by foreign buying, while investors remain concerned about the Federal Reserve's future policy path. The Korean won rose against the US dollar.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index was up 3.26 points, or 0.13 percent, to close at 2,514.96.

Trade volume was slim at 353.45 million shares worth 6.43 trillion won ($5 billion), with decliners outnumbering gainers 469 to 403.

Foreigners bought a net 119 billion won worth of stocks, offsetting institutions and individuals' stock selling valued at 137 billion won.

Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5 percent to 35,273.03, and the tech-rich NASDAQ also added 0.5 percent to 14,265.86.

There have been expectations that the Fed has nearly completed its rate-hike cycle, and rate cuts are likely in 2024. But the latest Fed minutes showed that officials have no intention of easing monetary policy.

"With no major upside momentum out there, foreign purchases helped the main index end in positive territory ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday," Kim Byoung-yeon, an analyst at NH Investment & Securities Co., said.

Large-cap stocks were mixed across the board.

Top carmaker Hyundai Motor rose 1 percent to 184,800 won, national flag carrier Korean Air climbed 2 percent to 22,800 won, leading car battery maker LG Energy Solution gained 1.5 percent to 448,500 won, and state utility Korea Electric Power Corp. jumped 3.4 percent to 18,750 won.

Among decliners, market behemoth Samsung Electronics fell 0.6 percent to 72,400 won, No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix declined 0.9 percent to 130,100 won, and No. 2 steelmaker Hyundai Steel shed 1.1 percent to 35,350 won.

The local currency was trading at 1,297.5 won against the US dollar, up 3 won from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)