South Korean stocks traded lower late Monday morning as investors remained concerned over Iran's recent missile and drone strikes against Israel. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index had dropped 26.63 points, or 0.99 percent, to 2,655.19 as of 11:20 a.m. Leading tech giant Samsung Electronics plunged 2.51 percent, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix decreased 1.28 percent. Top battery maker LG Energy Solution lost 0.4 percent, and Samsung SDI slid 1.37 percent. Korean Air Lines lost 0.73 percent amid the geopolitical uncertainties, with Asiana Airlines falling 2.95 percent. Oil refiner S-Oil shot up 1.78 percent amid expectations of higher petrochemical product prices following the attack. Carmakers, on the other hand, gained ground, with Hyundai Motor rising 1.05 percent and its sister Kia gaining 3.37 percent. The local currency was trading at 1,382.8 won against the dollar, down 7.4 won from the previous session's close. Source: Yonhap News Agency