South Korean stocks traded 0.3 percent higher late Friday morning, led by bullish tech firms and insurers, analysts said.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 5.64 points to 2,035.73 as of 11:20 a.m.
Chip giant SK hynix widened its gains further to surge nearly 4 percent. Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, a major non-life insurer, shot up 2.5 percent.
In contrast, retail blue-chip Lotte Shopping slumped more than 3 percent, with LG Chem, a leading chemical producer falling 2.2 percent.
The local currency was changing hands at 1.061.60 won against the greenback as of 11:20 a.m., down 0.5 won from Thursday's close. (Yonhap News)
