South Korean stocks traded 0.21 percent lower late Thursday mornings, as earlier gains in tech blue-chips and shipping lines pared down, analysts said.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shed 4.12 points to 1,973.33 as of 11:20 a.m.
Tech heavyweight Samsung Electronics dipped 1.7 percent, with chipmaker SK hynix losing nearly 1 percent. The country's leading bulk shipping firm STX PanOcean slumped around 4 percent.
In contrast, autos and brokerage houses advanced, with industry leader Hyundai Motor rising 1.2 percent.
The local currency was changing hands at 1,057.30 won against the greenback, up 1.4 won from Wednesday's close. (Yonhap News)
