Seoul shares up late Mon. morning on tech, financial gains

South Korean shares traded higher late Monday morning, buoyed by gains in tech and financial shares. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 11.10 points, or 0.43 percent, to 2,608.01 as of 11:20 a.m. The index trimmed earlier gains after opening slightly higher, tracking gains on Wall Street last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 0.97 percent higher Friday (U.S. time), with the tech-heavy Nasdaq advancing 0.33 percent. Large caps traded mixed in Seoul, while tech and financial shares helped keep the index in the positive terrain. Market bellwether and tech giant Samsung Electronics surged 1.52 percent, with its chipmaking rival SK hynix adding 1.13 percent. Leading financial firm KB Financial spiked 5.48 percent, while Shinhan Financial and Woori Financial soared 1.39 percent and 2.45 percent, respectively. Top automaker Hyundai Motor stayed flat while its smaller affiliate Kia Motors lost 0.49 percent. The local currency was trading at 1,358.60 won against the U.S. dollar, down 9.10 won from the previous session. Source: Yonhap News Agency