Seoul: South Korean stocks traded sharply higher late Monday morning as investors scooped up technology shares amid improved sentiment over the artificial intelligence (AI) sector. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) soared 223.03 points, or 4.38 percent, to 5,312.17 as of 11:20 a.m.

According to Yonhap News Agency, after last week's rout amid concerns over an AI bubble, investors hunted for undervalued technology shares as they believed that the recent fear had been excessive. Top tech giant Samsung Electronics shot up 5.3 percent, and SK hynix rose 5.36 percent.

Leading cosmetics maker Amorepacific jumped 19.74 percent after reporting robust earnings for 2025 last week, supported by strong overseas sales. Oil refiners traded higher, with SK Innovation advancing 3.67 percent, and S-Oil moving up 2.55 percent.

The Korean won was trading at 1,464.1 won against the U.S. dollar at 11:20 a.m., up 5.4 won from the previous session.