Seoul shares down nearly 1.5% in late Wed. morning trade

An electronic signboard, left, in the dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul shows the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), Sept 14. Yonhap

Korean stocks traded 1.48 percent lower late Wednesday morning amid market jitters over the U.S. inflation data that would prod the Federal Reserve to stay hawkish on its rate hikes.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 36.32 points to 2,413.22 as of 11:20 a.m.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics slid about 2 percent and biopharmaceutical giant Celltrion slumped around 4 percent.

Battery makers, however, turned to positive terrain. Top player LG Energy Solution was up 0.5 percent and Samsung SDI gained nearly 1 percent.

POSCO Chemical, an arm of steel giant POSCO that produces battery components, jumped more than 2 percent.

The local currency was changing hands at 1,391.10 won against the greenback as of 11:20 a.m., down 17.5 won from Tuesday's close. (Yonhap)