Seoul shares up late Thur. morning on U.S. gains

South Korean shares were up late Thursday morning after opening slightly higher on U.S. gains. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 2.38 points, or 0.09 percent, to 2,612.74 as of 11:20 a.m. Overnight, U.S. stocks finished in positive terrain, helped by advances in big tech shares, including artificial intelligence giant Nvidia that jumped 3.13 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.79 percent to close at 43,077.70, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq advancing 0.28 percent to 18,367.08. In Seoul, large caps traded mixed. Tech giant Samsung Electronics gained 0.17 percent, while the world's No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix advanced 0.85 percent. Top battery maker LG Energy Solution slipped 0.12 percent, with its local rival Samsung SDI also retreating 0.29 percent. Carmakers were taking a heavy beating with industry leader Hyundai Motor plunging 3.64 percent and its smaller affiliate Kia tumbling 2.04 percent. The local currency was trading at 1,365.75 won against the U.S. dollar, down 3.15 won from the previous session. Source: Yonhap News Agency