South Korean stocks closed slightly higher on Thursday, marking a third consecutive day of gains as investors awaited further indications on the direction of US interest rate policy following the Bank of Korea's decision to maintain its rates. The local currency also strengthened against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose by 6.54 points, or 0.24 percent, to finish at 2,707.67. Trade volume was moderate, with 434 million shares valued at 8.83 trillion won ($6.61 billion) traded, and losers outnumbering gainers 597 to 283. Foreign investors purchased a net 64.5 billion won worth of shares, while individuals sold a net 111.3 billion won. Institutions bought a net 42.3 billion won. Investors maintained a cautious stance, awaiting Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's upcoming speech after the Bank of Korea's decision to keep its key rate unchanged for the 13th consecutive session. The local stock market faced a mix of hopes and uncertainties, according to Kim Seok-hwan, an analyst at Mirae Asset Securities. Notable movements included tech giant Samsung Electronics and chipmaker SK hynix, which remained unchanged and slid 0.78 percent, respectively. Battery maker LG Energy Solution and Samsung SDI saw gains of 3.71 percent and 2.13 percent, respectively. Naver, a leading online search engine, surged 5.31 percent, while its rival Kakao rose 2.6 percent. Game publisher Krafton saw a 1.91 percent increase following the unveiling of new titles. However, leading carmaker Hyundai Motors and its sister company Kia experienced declines of 1.78 percent and 0.58 percent, respectively, while auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis lost 0.45 percent. The local currency traded at 1,334.7 won against the dollar as of 3:30 p.m., up 1.9 won from the previous session.