Seoul shares down slightly in late-morning trade

South Korean stocks traded slightly lower later Thursday morning led by losses from large-cap shares, such as techs and battery makers. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) had decreased 5.55 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,749.56 as of 11:20 a.m. Tech giant SK hynix, the second-largest share in terms of market cap, fell 0.33 percent, and leading battery maker LG Energy Solution, the third-heaviest share on the KOSPI, lost 1.22 percent. Hyundai Mobis, an auto parts affiliate under Hyundai Motor Group, dropped 2.08 percent, and leading zinc smelter Korea Zinc declined 0.87 percent. But top-cap Samsung Electronics edged up 0.13 percent. The local currency was trading at 1,346.45 won against the U.S. dollar, up 2.15 won from the previous session's close. Source: Yonhap News Agency