South Korean shares traded higher late Wednesday morning, led by gains in top market cap Samsung Electronics and other market heavyweights, set to extend their winning streak to two second consecutive days.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 4.29 points, or 0.21 percent, to 2,046.23 as of 11:20 a.m.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics rose 0.29 percent. A day earlier, the tech giant gained 0.95 percent to 1,812,000, closing at a new record high. 

Samsung C&T, Samsung's de facto holding firm, jumped 3.53 percent.

Other large-cap stocks were mixed across the board.

Global chipmaker SK hynix added 1 percent and leading steelmaker POSCO rose 1.93 percent. Meanwhile, leading automaker Hyundai Motor shed 0.35 percent and its sister company, Kia Motor, lost 0.25 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,194.90 against the US greenback, down 1.90 won from Tuesday's close. (Yonhap)