Seoul shares up 0.11 pct in late-morning trade

SEOUL, July 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks traded 0.11 percent higher late Tuesday morning, helped by firm gains in major technology companies, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 2.42 points to 2,147.72 as of 11:20 a.m. Techs fueled the rise, with market bellwether Samsung Electronics rising more than 1 percent. Hynix Semiconductor, the world's No. 2 chipmaker, jumped more than 3 percent following a local media report that Hyundai Heavy Industries will likely make a solo bid for its majority stake. In contrast, the world's top shipyard lost more than 3 percent. Creditors are scheduled to accept preliminary bids for Hynix Semiconductor by Friday. The local currency was changing hands at 1,066.45 won to the greenback as of 11:20 a.m., down 2.95 won from Monday's close.