Seoul: South Korean stocks traded higher late Friday morning as investors remained confident in artificial intelligence (AI)-related shares despite looming concerns over a potential bubble. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) dipped 20.36 points, or 0.39 percent, to 5,150.45 as of 11:20 a.m. The index briefly topped the 5,300-point level, rising as high as 5,321.68.

According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korean chipmakers continued to gain ground, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite fell 0.7 percent overnight on Wall Street due to concerns over an AI bubble. In Seoul, Samsung Electronics moved up 1.06 percent and SK hynix gained 5.17 percent.

Brokerage houses traded higher, with Mirae Asset Securities rising 4.9 percent and Kiwoom Securities increasing 3.76 percent. Top mobile carrier SK Telecom rose 5.04 percent, and its rival KT added 1.25 percent.

In contrast, leading battery maker LG Energy Solution lost 2.88 percent, and Samsung SDI slid 1.93 percent. The local currency was quoted at 1,439.7 won against the greenback as of 11:20 a.m., down 13.4 won from the previous session's close.