Stock transactions via mobile gadgets have grown in number in the South Korean market as a rising number of retail investors have opted to use smartphones and tablets for trading, the bourse operator said Monday. 

Mobile devices accounted for 10.40 percent of total transactions in the main KOSPI market as of Nov. 10, up from 9.28 percent last year, the Korea Exchange (KRX) said. 

The ratio of mobile trading in the tech-laden KOSDAQ market also jumped from 17.52 percent to 20.95 percent during the same period, the KRX said.  

Market watchers attributed the rising trading volume on mobile platforms to the widespread use of smartphones and trading applications offered by local brokerage houses seeking to lure more investors. 

In contrast, the proportion of stock transactions via the home trading system declined from 30.62 percent to 27.66 percent on the KOSPI during the same period, while the use of trading terminals inched down from 0.30 percent to 0.28 percent, the KRX said. 

The proportion of HTS trading on the KOSDAQ also fell from 61.5 percent to 57.38 percent, while that for trading via computer terminals slipped from 0.46 percent to 0.42 percent, it added. (Yonhap)