SEOUL: South Korean stocks traded 1.2 percent higher late Monday morning, boosted by gains in pharmaceuticals and food manufacturers, analysts said.
Extending earlier gains, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) climbed 23.34 points to 1,993.02 as of 11:20 a.m.
Hanmi Pharm Co., a leading pharmaceutical company here, shot up more than 5 percent, and major foodmaker CJ Cheiljedang spiked about 4 percent.
In contrast, auto blue chips trended lower. Top player Hyundai Motor fell 1.2 percent, and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors lost almost 2 percent.
The local currency was changing hands at 1,172.40 won against the greenback as of 11:20 a.m., up 8.3 won from Friday’s close.
