Seoul stocks up late Thursday morning

SEOUL, June 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks traded higher Thursday morning, as fears over trade disputes eased.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 19.02 points, or 0.78 percent, to 2,472.78 as of 11:20 a.m.

Most large-cap shares were bullish across the board, while market kingpin Samsung Electronics fell 0.78 percent.

SK hynix, a major chipmaker, edged up 0.22 percent.

Steel and bank shares rallied with top steelmaker POSCO jumping 4.26 percent. KB Financial Group soared 3.27 percent.

Samsung Biologics, the healthcare unit of South Korea's No. 1 business group Samsung, remained flat as the financial regulator was poised to make a final ruling on a suspected accounting breach.

The South Korean currency was trading at 1,067.30 won against the U.S. dollar, up 3.4 won from the previous session's close.

scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)