Seoul: South Korean stocks turned higher late Tuesday morning, after starting marginally lower, amid woes ahead of the country's tariff negotiations with the United States later this week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) had added 3.58 points, or 0.14 percent, to 2,492 as of 11:20 a.m.

According to Yonhap News Agency, overnight, Wall Street lost ground as President Donald Trump intensified his criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, suggesting that the U.S. economy could face a slowdown unless the Fed promptly lowers its interest rate. As a result, Seoul investors are closely monitoring the upcoming tariff talks between South Korea and the U.S., scheduled to take place in Washington later this week.

Recently, South Korea was hit with 25 percent reciprocal tariffs, although the U.S. has paused their implementation for 90 days. Amid these developments, key market players in Seoul showed mixed performances. Samsung Electronics fell by 0.36 percent and SK hynix by 0.96 percent. Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor and Kia saw declines of 0.11 percent and 0.57 percent, respectively.

Conversely, some sectors experienced gains. Hanwha Aerospace rose 0.84 percent, HD Hyundai Heavy surged 3.41 percent, and Hanwha Ocean increased by 1.54 percent. The technology sector also saw positive movements, with Naver soaring 3.15 percent and Kakao climbing 1.16 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,425.5 won against the U.S. dollar at 11:20 a.m., marking a decrease of 6.4 won from the previous session.