Updates with afternoon trade

By Nichiket Sunil

Jan 27 (Reuters) - South Korea's won recouped early losses on Tuesday and stocks rose to a record high, as the country showed its commitment to implementing a trade deal with the United States following fresh tariff threats.

South Korea scrambled to provide the U.S. reassurance on the trade deal signed last year, after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on autos and other imports to 25% from 15%, blaming a delay in enacting the pact agreed last year.

The won KRW=KFTC was largely flat at 1,444.9 per dollar after falling 0.6% earlier in the session. The benchmark KOSPI index .KS11 was up 2.7% after a 1.2% fall earlier.

Nomura economist Jeong Woo Park said in a note that their base case scenario is that the issue is resolved quickly and tariffs are normalised within the next month.

"We expect policy uncertainty to rise in coming days, although we believe its impact on growth should be marginal. Higher tariffs can negatively affect non-tech exports such as autos and pharmaceuticals, but it should not have an impact on chip exports, which are currently the key driver of South Korea's exports," he said.

In Indonesia, the rupiah IDR= recovered from early losses to trade flat at 16,770 per dollar. The country's parliament approved President Prabowo Subianto's nephew as a new central bank deputy governor, sparking investor concerns about the independence of Bank Indonesia.

Last week, worries over his nomination, coupled with concerns over Indonesia's fiscal health, had brought the rupiah to a record low of 16,985. The currency recovered some losses after Bank Indonesia held rates steady and provided currency-stabilisation assurances.

Among other regional currencies, the baht THB=TH edged 0.2% higher after the finance ministry said it expected the economy to grow 2% this year, keeping its previous forecast.

Malaysia's ringgit MYR= rose 0.3% against the U.S. dollar, which traded near four-month lows ahead of a Federal Reserve meeting and possible announcement of a new Fed chairman.

The dollar has been under pressure due to a range of factors, including Washington's desire for a weaker currency, looming U.S. government shutdown and Trump's erratic policymaking.

Meanwhile, the Japanese yen JPY= held firm on talks of rate checks from the United States and Japan, a move often seen as a precursor to intervention.

Stock markets in the region tracked global shares higher. MSCI's gauge of Asian emerging market equities .MIMS00000PUS rose 1.4% to an all-time high.

Taiwan stocks .TWII notched a record closing high amid chip-sector optimism. Singapore stocks .STI rose more than 1% to log a fresh high.

HIGHLIGHTS: ** India, EU finalise landmark trade deal, PM Modi says ** Chinese industrial profit rises in 2025, first time in four years

** UK's Starmer heads to China to repair ties as he navigates tensions with US

(Reporting by Nichiket Sunil in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)

((Nichiket.Sunil@thomsonreuters.com))