Seoul: South Korean stocks traded fairly higher late Tuesday morning as investors hunted for profit following a sharp drop the previous day. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) had added 45.73 points, or 1.84 percent, to 2,526.85 as of 11:20 a.m.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the index experienced a 3 percent plunge to a near one-month low on Monday, led by concerns over Washington's planned announcement of reciprocal tariffs and the resumption of short selling, which had been banned for more than a year. Shares of semiconductor, IT, and pharmaceutical industries were among the largest winners.
Tech giant Samsung Electronics jumped 2.77 percent, and its chipmaking rival SK hynix gained 3.36 percent. Top online portal operator Naver rose 2.98 percent, and its rival Kakao soared 7.61 percent. Leading pharma Celltrion added 3.91 percent, and Hanwha Aerospace, the largest defense firm, mounted 4.47 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,469.45 won against the U.S. dollar at 11:20 a.m., up 1.95 won from the previous session.