Seoul shares down late Mon. morning

South Korean stocks traded slightly lower late Monday morning as market heavyweights traded in mixed territory. Turning from an upbeat start, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index had decreased 4.72 points, or 0.17 percent, to 2,743.84 as of 11:20 a.m. Top tech giant Samsung Electronics slipped 0.25 percent, while No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix gained 0.12 percent. Carmakers were weak, as industry leader Hyundai Motor fell 1.23 percent and its auto parts affiliate Hyundai Mobis lost 1.53 percent. Leading pharmaceutical firms SK biopharm and Celltrion rose 1.27 percent and 0.74 percent, respectively. The local currency was trading at 1,338.9 won against the U.S. dollar, down 0.5 won from the previous session's close. Source: Yonhap News Agency