South Korean stocks traded slightly higher late Tuesday morning as investors took to the sidelines ahead of important U.S. data. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 5.45 points, or 0.20 percent, to 2,686.45 as of 11:20 a.m. The index had opened slightly higher but trimmed earlier gains as investors took caution before the release of U.S. jobs data and U.S. manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) later in the week. Large caps were mixed in Seoul. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics shed 0.54 percent, with the world's No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix losing 0.63 percent. Top battery maker LG Energy Solution retreated 0.49 percent following its 6.19 percent spike in the previous session, while its local rival Samsung SDS surged 1.64 percent. Autos were suffering heavy losses, with industry leader Hyundai Motor tumbling 3.05 percent, while its smaller affiliate Kia Motors plunged 3.11 percent. The local currency was trading at 1,340.45 won against the U.S. dollar, down 2.05 won from the previous session. Source: Yonhap News Agency