South Korean shares pare early gains amid heavy tech selling

In Seoul, South Korea, the stock market had a good morning but not as good as it started.

When trading began, the main stock index, called the KOSPI, jumped by almost 3 percent and even touched the 7,000 mark for a moment.

But soon after, the gains got smaller because many people sold big technology company shares.

Some investors from other countries bought a lot of shares, about 714 million dollars' worth, which helped balance the selling.

The market still ended the morning higher, up about 1.3 percent.

Big tech companies like Samsung Electronics and SK hynix mostly went up, though chip stocks moved more.

The night before, stock markets in the United States hit their highest levels ever, partly because oil prices were going down.

The Korean government also said the country's economy is getting stronger because exports are doing well.

However, they warned that high oil prices and the Middle East conflict are still making life hard for some people.