SEOUL-- South Korean stocks turned to gains late Monday morning amid rising woes over the omicron variant of the new coronavirus.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 4.55 points, or 0.15 percent, to 2,972.88 points in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Stocks came off to a weak start, tracking losses on Wall Street that stemmed from worries about the omicron variant.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated 0.17 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite declined 1.92 percent amid rising virus concerns.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics advanced 0.93 percent and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix gained 0.85 percent. Leading carmaker Hyundai Motor increased 0.49 percent.
Among losers, pharmaceutical giant Samsung Biologics lost 0.44 percent, and internet portal operator Naver retreated 1.99 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,183.15 won against the U.S. dollar, down 305 won from the previous session's close.
Source: Yonhap News Agency