South Korean shares ended higher on China's surprise cut of its benchmark interest rate.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) on Monday rose 13-point-70 points, or seven tenths of a percent, to close at one-thousand-978-point-54.

The tech-laden KOSDAQ dropped two-point-05 points, or zero-point-38 percent, to close at 541-point-93.

On the Seoul foreign exchange market, the local currency gained one-and-a-half won against the U.S. dollar to close at one-thousand-112-point-three won.