Seoul shares extend gains late Monday morning on tech gains

SEOUL, South Korean stocks traded higher late Monday morning, buoyed by gains in technical shares.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 10.47 points, or 0.39 percent, to 2,677.31 as of 11:20 a.m.The KOSPI extended gains after opening a tad higher on tech gains.Samsung Electronics, the world's largest supplier of memory chips, gained 0.28 percent, with No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix adding 0.50 percent.Top battery maker LG Energy Solution surged 1.51 percent, while its local rival Samsung SDI spiked 2.59 percent.Leading automaker Hyundai Motor advanced 0.21 percent, with its smaller affiliate Kia Motors soaring 2 percent.Financial shares were in negative terrain, with KB Financial plunging 3.54 percent and Shinhan Financial dipping 1.61 percent.The local currency was trading at 1,332.85 won against the U.S. dollar, down 2.35 won from the previous session's close.Source: Yonhap News Agency