South Korean stocks traded 0.23 percent lower late Thursday morning as blue chip techs tumbled on weak earnings, analysts said.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 4.46 points to 1,957.12 as of 11:20 a.m.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics, which reported a 27 percent fall in net profit, slipped 0.22 percent while the country's top Internet portal operator Naver slumped 3.86 percent after posting weaker-than-expected earnings.
Autos, in contrast, were bullish with Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors each rising 0.91 percent and 1.74 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,092.2 won against the U.S. dollar as of 11:20 a.m., down 7.7 won from Wednesday's close. (Yonhap)