Seoul shares up 0.3 pct in late morning

South Korean stocks traded 0.28 percent higher late Thursday morning, led by a rise in utility firms and construction companies, analysts said.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) ticked up 5.42 points to 1,926.65 as of 11:20 a.m.

Top builder Hyundai Engineering & Construction hiked nearly 4 percent and state-run electricity provider Korea Electric Power Corp. gained more than 3 percent.

Large-cap shares moved in negative terrain. Top-cap Samsung Electronics was down 0.3 percent, with chip giant SK hynix falling 1.5 percent.

The local currency was changing hands at 1,084.20 won against the greenback as of 11:20 a.m., down 0.8 won from Wednesday's close. (Yonhap)