The South Korean won has given back an earlier advance of up to 0.7% against the US dollar, and is now trading little changed from its previous close.

The USD/KRW pair is steady at 1426.08. "Most of the dollar selling from exporters had been completed around midday," said Min Gyeong-won, an economist at Woori Bank. "The dollar's rise against the won in the late session should be largely driven by mechanical short-covering prompted by rising international oil prices and US Treasury yields."