South Korean stocks pulled back from strong early gains on Wednesday as investors moved to lock in profits following a three-session winning streak. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI — South Korea's main stock market index) opened nearly 2 percent higher, buoyed by tech heavyweights after the Nasdaq Composite posted back-to-back record closes, but had slipped to a modest 0.08 percent gain by late morning. Shares in Samsung Electronics and chip maker SK Hynix remained broadly positive, while the Korean won edged up slightly against the US dollar.