Seoul ended in positive territory after wild swings that saw it drop as much as five percent at one point.
South Korean chip titan SK hynix ended up more than three percent, a day after a 15 percent collapse. Rival Samsung rose 3.3 percent.
Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Manila and Jakarta were also up, although Wellington, Taipei, Mumbai and Bangkok fell.
Investors are anticipating a big week, with the start of earnings season, Federal Reserve chief Kevin Warsh to testify before Congress and US inflation data to be released.
“A softer-than-expected (inflation) reading could revive hopes of lower borrowing costs and boost equity markets, while a hotter print is likely to send Treasury yields and the dollar higher, piling fresh pressure on stocks,” said Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at the Wealth Club.
The recent rise in oil prices revived concerns that another spike in inflation could force the Fed and other central banks to raise interest rates soon.
Fed Governor Christopher Waller raised fears of an early interest rate hike.
“If we get another hot reading on core inflation this week, then (the rate-setting committee) will have to consider tightening monetary policy in the near term,” he said on Monday.
The market currently sees a 39 percent chance the Fed will raise interest rates at its meeting later this month, but that rises to more than 76 percent in September.
Key figures around 1100 GMT
Brent North Sea crude: UP 4.9 percent to $87.34 a barrel
West Texas Intermediate: UP 3.7 percent to $81.01 a barrel
London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.4 percent to 10,456.89 points
Paris – CAC 40: DOWN 0.9 percent to 8,292.57
Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 0.8 percent to 24,917.04
Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.7 percent to 67,743.50 (close)
Seoul – Kospi: UP 0.7 percent to 6,856.83 (close)
Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.5 percent to 24,340.73 (close)
Shanghai – Composite: UP 1.4 percent to 3,967.13 (close)
New York – Dow: DOWN 0.3 percent at 52,498.64 (close)
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1390 from $1.1384 on Monday
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3368 from $1.3353
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 162.25 yen from 162.43 yen
Euro/pound: DOWN to 85.23 pence from 85.25 pence
