Seoul stocks up 0.2 pct late morning

SEOUL, Dec. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks traded 0.2 percent higher late
Monday morning on the country's win of a US$40 billion nuclear power plant deal
from the United Arab Emirates, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) climbed 3.33 points, or
0.2 percent, to trade at 1,685.67 as of 11:20 a.m.
A South Korean consortium including Korea Electric Power Corp, Hyundai
Engineering & Construction Co., Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co. and
Samsung C&T Corp. won the deal on Sunday to build and operate four nuclear power
plants.
Doosan shot up by a daily limit of 14.88 percent and Korea Electric Power also
jumped around 7 percent.
But the key index retreated from the opening gains of up to 0.7 percent as
foreign and institutional investors took profits from recent rallies.
The local currency was trading at 1,169.05 won to the U.S. dollar as of 11:20
a.m., up 5.95 won from Thursday's close.
pbr@yna.co.kr