South Korean stocks traded almost flat late Thursday morning as a fall in domestic-focused firms offset gains in tech blue chips, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 1.72 points, or 0.08 percent, to 2,044.23 as of 11:20 a.m.

Top mobile carrier SK Telecom slipped 2 percent, with state-run electricity provider Korea Electric Power Corp. losing 2.3 percent.

Market behemoth Samsung Electronics continued its bullish run from earlier, climbing 2.5 percent. Its smaller home rival LG Electronics also rose 0.6 percent.

The local currency was changing hands at 1,144.10 won against the greenback as of 11:20 a.m., down 13.1 won from Wednesday's close. (Yonhap)