Seoul shares up late Wed. morning on U.S. tech gains

South Korean shares were up late Wednesday morning, helped by overnight advances of U.S. tech shares that drove the Nasdaq to a new high. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 8.26 points, or 0.31 percent, to 2,713.58 as of 11:20 a.m. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated 0.31 percent to 38,747.42, but the tech-heavy Nasdaq advanced 0.88 percent to a new high of 17,343.55 after Apple Inc. unveiled its free artificial intelligence. In Seoul, large caps traded mixed. Tech giant Samsung Electronics advanced 0.40 percent, with No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix gaining 0.47 percent. Leading cosmetics firm Amorepacific spiked 8.31 percent, while top pharmaceuticals firm Celltrion fell 2.02 percent. Battery makers were in negative terrain, with industry leader LG Energy Solution losing 0.70 percent and its local rival Samsung SDS down 0.26 percent. Top automaker Hyundai Motor slipped 0.55 percent, while its smaller affiliate Kia stayed flat. The local currency was trading at 1 ,376.75 won against the U.S. dollar, up 1.65 won from the previous session's close. Source: Yonhap News Agency