SEOUL, South Korean stocks traded lower late Tuesday morning amid choppy trading as investors continued to seek profit, while financial shares limited the decline.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index had decreased 11.17 points, or 0.42 percent, to 2,663.1 as of 11:20 a.m.
Top tech giant Samsung Electronics fell 1.07 percent, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix slid 0.84 percent.
Battery makers also traded weaker as Tesla closed sharply lower on Wall Street overnight, with LG Energy Solution falling 2.38 percent and Samsung SDI losing 1.74 percent.
Financial shares, on the other hand, gained ground, with KB Financial rising 3.33 percent and Shinhan Financial climbing 1.24 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,333.5 won against the U.S. dollar, down 2.2 won from the previous session.
Source: Yonhap News Agency