South Korean stocks traded almost flat late Thursday morning as investors continued to take a wait-and-see approach on the Chinese economy, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) edged up 2.74 points, or 0.13 percent, to 2,038.49 as of 11:20 a.m.

Builders traded bullish, with Hyundai Engineering & Construction adding 0.66 percent and Daewoo Engineering & Construction advancing 0.81 percent. GS Engineering & Construction climbed 0.93 percent.

Tech shares lost ground, with market behemoth Samsung Electronics falling 0.14 percent and flat panel maker LG Display moving down 0.99 percent. Local handset maker LG Electronics also shed 0.72 percent.

The local currency was changing hands at 1,055.20 won against the greenback as of 11:20 a.m., up 0.60 won from Wednesday's close. (Yonahp News)