They said the market appeared to benefit from institutional investor support, with fresh funds coming in in search of an alternative investment after recent government measures to cool an overheated property sector.
The KOSPI index closed up 7.24 points at a record 1,152.50.
Hong Kong share prices closed flat as the outlook for US inflation and interest rate movements remained unclear in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, dealers said.
The Hang Seng Index closed down 0.40 points at 15,165.77.
Chinese share prices closed 0.40 percent lower on profit-taking with airlines and real estate developers under pressure after recent gains as oil prices eased off record highs, dealers said.
They said investors took quick profit on the gains made this week led by falling oil prices and expectations of more fund inflows.
The Shanghai A-share Index shed 5.00 points to 1,250.16, while the Shenzhen A-share Index was down 2.52 points or 0.83 percent at 299.71. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index, which covers both A- and B-shares, closed down 4.79 points or 0.40 percent at 1,189.63.
Australian share prices closed 0.15 percent lower as investors took profits on resource and energy stocks while Wall Street losses added to the negative sentiment, dealers said.
The key S&P/ASX 200 index was down 6.8 points at 4,468.1, having fallen as much as 32.2 points earlier on heavy selling of market heavyweights BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto. The broader All Ordinaries was 7.1 points lower at 4,432.7.
Singapore shares closed 0.15 percent higher on gains in local technology stocks after an upbeat report from US semiconductor giant Intel Corp., dealers said.
The Straits Times Index (STI) added 3.38 points at 2,301.28. Gains led losers by 270 to 177, with 614 stocks unchanged.
Malaysian shares prices closed 0.12 percent higher in cautious trade, with investors continuing concerned by the possible impact of high oil prices on the economy, dealers said.
The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index gained 1.12 points to 917.92.
Thai share prices closed 0.32 percent lower on profit taking in the banking sector, dealers said.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) composite shed 2.30 points at 712.78 points and the bluechip SET 50 index dropped 2.27 points to 505.52.
Indonesian share prices closed 1.67 percent higher, led by blue chips Astra International and Telkom as a more stable rupiah and easing oil prices bolstered investor confidence, dealers said. The Jakarta Stock Exchange composite index added 18.006 points at 1,098.456.
Philippine share prices closed 1.21 percent lower as investors opted for safety ahead of the weekend in the face of continued political uncertainty and after a weak Wall Street performance coupled with a fresh rise in oil prices, dealers said.
The composite index fell 23.07 points to 1,882.77 points after trading between 1,882.60 and 1,910.80.
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