SEOUL-- South Korean stocks traded 0.4 percent higher late Friday morning, buoyed by gains in chemical companies and oil refiners.
The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 10.67 points to 2,669.66 as of 11:20 a.m.
SKC, a chemical company under SK Group, soared more than 4 percent following media reports it might sell its PET film business to focus on battery materials. Top refiner SK Innovation also rose about 2 percent.
Auto shares trended downward. Hyundai Motor shed 0.5 percent and its smaller affiliate, Kia, fell almost 1 percent.
Tech heavyweight Samsung Electronics was up about 0.3 percent, while battery maker LG Energy Solution fell around 0.1 percent.
The local currency was changing hands at 1,240.00 won against the greenback as of 11:20 a.m., up 12.1 won from Thursday's close.
Source: Yonhap News Agency