SEOUL– South Korean stocks traded 0.39 percent higher late Thursday morning on the back of the rise in tech and chemicals shares following big gains on Wall Street.
The Korea Composite Stock Price Index had added 9.24 points to 2,396.09 as of 11:20 a.m.
Foreign investors went on a buying mode, offsetting selling by institutions and retailers.
Overnight, U.S. stocks rose as tech shares rallied on solid corporate earnings. The Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up 0.15 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite surged 1.58 percent.
In Seoul, large-cap shares traded mixed, with tech and chemicals leading the upturn of the index.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics rose 1.32 percent, while No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix remained unchanged.
Battery giant LG Energy Solution advanced 0.65 percent, and major chemical firm LG Chem surged 4.63 percent.
Internet portal operator Naver grew 2.44 percent, and platform giant Kakao climbed 1.09 percent.
But leading carmaker Hyundai Motor fell 1.32 percent, and its smaller affiliate Kia stayed flat.
Financials also lost ground on profit-taking, with KB Financial Group decreasing 1.24 percent.
The local currency had been trading at 1,314.70 won against the greenback as of 11:20 a.m., down 1.8 won from the previous session’s close.
Source: Yonhap News Agency