SEOUL-- South Korean stocks stretched their gains late Thursday as investors picked up large-cap chip shares.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 16.73 points, or 0.62 percent, to 2,735.42 points as of 11:20 a.m.

After a solid start, the key stock index traded bullish on the back of foreign and institutional buying.

Overnight, the U.S. stock markets ended mixed.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.71 percent, while the S&P500 fell 0.06 percent and the Nasdaq was down 1.22 percent.

In Seoul, market bellwether Samsung Electronics gained 1.19 percent and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix increased 1.78 percent.

In contrast, key battery maker LG Energy Solution inched down 0.11 percent after opening higher.

The local currency was trading at 1,234.7 won against the U.S. dollar, up 1.4 won from the previous session's close.

Source: Yonhap News Agency