Seoul: Seoul shares pared earlier losses late Thursday morning, supported by gains in technology and auto stocks, though investors remained cautious over U.S. tariff policies. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 9.85 points, or 0.31 percent, to 3,176.53 as of 11:20 a.m. The index had opened slightly lower, bucking overnight gains on Wall Street.

According to Yonhap News Agency, individuals bought a net 281.87 billion won (US$202 million) worth of stocks, offsetting the stock selling by institutions and foreigners at 162.18 billion won and 176.53 billion won, respectively. Trump recently notified key U.S. trading partners, including South Korea, of new tariffs set to take effect August 1 unless they negotiate better terms with the U.S.

The latest U.S. inflation data also weighed on investor sentiment as consumer prices rose 2.7 percent in June, below expectations, even as companies began passing some tariff-related costs to consumers. In Seoul, large-cap stocks were mixed. Leading shipbuilder HD Hyundai fell 1.74 percent, and state-run utility Korea Electric Power Corp. slid 1.1 percent. Major retail firms, Lotte Shopping and Shinsegae, dropped 1.45 percent and 0.63 percent, respectively.

Among gainers, market bellwether Samsung Electronics added 2.16 percent, and top carmaker Hyundai Motor rose 0.72 percent. Leading steelmaker POSCO Holdings gained 0.65 percent, and leading battery firm LG Energy Solution rose 1.61 percent. The local currency was trading at 1,390.2 won against the U.S. dollar at 11:20 a.m., down 4.5 won from the previous session.