SEOUL: Paring earlier gains, South Korean stocks traded 0.53 percent lower late Friday morning, led by a fall in large-cap tech and financial firms, analysts said.
The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) dropped 11.29 points to 2,109.04 as of 11:20 a.m.
Chip giant SK hynix, the third-largest company by market cap, shed 0.2 percent. No. 1 insurer Samsung Life Insurance plunged 4.3 percent.
In contrast, domestic-oriented issues gained ground. Top mobile carrier SK Telecom climbed 0.6 percent, with Internet portal operator Naver adding 0.2 percent.
The local currency was changing hands at 1,091.70 won against the greenback as of 11:20 a.m., down 1.2 won from Thursday’s close.
