South Korean stocks traded 0.3 percent higher late Tuesday morning, buoyed by gains in builders and IT services companies, analysts said.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 6 points to 1,985.97 as of 11:20 a.m.
Daelim Industrial, a leading construction firm, climbed 2.6 percent and NHN Corp., the No. 1 Internet portal service provider, gained 1.6 percent.
In contrast, utilities and brokerages lost ground. State-run Korea Electric Power Corp. sank more than 2 percent and KDB Daewoo Securities, the second-largest securities firm, fell 0.5 percent.
The local currency was changing hands at 1,126.30 won against the greenback, down 3.9 won from Monday's close. (Yonhap News)
