Seoul shares up late Mon. morning on battery, auto gains

Seoul stocks climbed over 0.8 percent late Monday morning led by gains among battery and automotive shares. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 0.81 percent, or 20.76 points, to 2,590.47 as of 11:20 a.m. Battery manufacturers and automakers led the overall gains, with leading battery maker LG Energy Solution surging 4.83 percent and top automaker Hyundai Motor adding 1.25 percent. Financial firms also gained traction, with KB Financial rising 2.91 percent and Shinhan Financial up 0.18 percent. Defense-related shares also gained ground following renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Defense equipment maker Hanwha Aerospace soared 6.22 percent. In contrast, top cap Samsung Electronics dropped 0.83 percent but its chip rival SK hynix climbed 2.76 percent. The local currency was trading at 1,346.6 won against the U.S. dollar, down 12.9 won from the previous session. Source: Yonhap News Agency