Seoul stocks extend losses late Wed. morning on techs, cars

South Korean stocks extended losses late Wednesday morning due to a slump in technology and automobile shares. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index had lost 26.87 points, or 0.99 percent, to 2,695.98 as of 11:20 a.m. Shares lost ground across the board, with top tech giant Samsung Electronics falling 0.9 percent and LG Energy Solution losing 2.78 percent. Leading carmaker Hyundai Motor lost 1.89 percent, and Kia shed 1.31 percent. Auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis decreased 2.28 percent. Top oil refiner SK Innovation slid 2.95 percent, and S-Oil fell 0.58 percent. LG Chem lost 4.73 percent. The local currency was trading at 1,363.6 won against the U.S. dollar, down 5.1 won from the previous session's close. Source: Yonhap News Agency