Seoul shares post fresh near-15-mth closing high

* Seoul shares rise 0.72 pct

* Foreign buying continues for a 10th session

* Key blue chips, shipbuilders fuel markets

(Updates to close)

By Jungyoun Park

SEOUL, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Seoul shares rose for a third session on Thursday to hit a new near-15-month closing high, helped by gains in blue chips including Samsung Elec (005930.KS) and shipbuilders such as Daewoo Shipbuilding (042660.KS).

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index .KS11 (KOSPI) finished up 0.72 percent at 1,695.47 points, the highest close since late June, 2008.

"Shares were helped by positive U.S. economic data and on continued foreign buying, which was spurred by South Korea's scheduled upgrade to developed market status next week," said Kim Seung-han, a market analyst at HI Investment Securities.

Foreign investors were buyers of a net 766.5 billion won worth of stocks, picking up shares for a 10th consecutive session.

Large cap blue chips rose across the board, with Samsung Electronics, the biggest share on the main KOSPI and the world's No.1 memory chip maker, rising 1.89 percent, and Hynix Semiconductor (000660.KS), the world's No.2 memory chip maker, gaining 0.72 percent.

Financials also rose, with brokerages rallying on expectations commissions and earnings would rise as markets advanced.

Shares in Samsung Securities (016360.KS), South Korea's top brokerage by market value, rose 1.92 percent and Mirae Asset Securities (037620.KS) jumped 7.26 percent.

But shares in Hite Holdings (000140.KS) tumbled after spirit maker Jinro Ltd, in which it is the top shareholder, said on Thursday it had decided to delay its initial public offering, after setting a new price range lower than the previous one. [ID:nSEO46732]

"It seems with the previous range Jinro wanted to reflect its plans for shareholder-friendly policies, such as generous dividends, but investors wanted more attractive pricing," said Song Kwang-soo, an analyst at Meritz Securities.

Shares in Hite Holdings dropped 10.04 percent and Hite Brewery 103150.KS declined 2.65 percent.

But retailers including Lotte Shopping (023530.KS) rose after data showed sales at South Korea's top three department stores in August rose at the fastest clip in seven months, providing fresh evidence of recovering domestic demand. [ID:nSEO286562]

Retail issues were also helped by hopes for robust sales during the upcoming South Korean thanksgiving holiday next month.

Lotte Shopping climbed 0.94 percent and Shinsegae (004170.KS) gained 3.34 percent.

Shipbuilders rallied amid an increasingly bullish economic outlook, with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering rising 2.77 percent and Samsung Heavy Industries (010140.KS) gaining 4.09 percent.

Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction (034020.KS) jumped 5.92 percent after the company said it had won a 1.27 trillion won ($1.05 billion) order to build a power plant in Saudi Arabia by 2013.