Seoul shares open higher on Aug. 5

[THE INVESTOR] South Korean stocks opened higher Aug. 5 led by gains in tech heavyweights.

The benchmark KOSPI added 8.23 points, or 0.41 percent, to 2,008.19 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Tech shares were among the top gainers. 

Samsung Electronics increased 0.86 percent, and chip giant SK hynix advanced 1.63 percent.

Cosmetic shares, which heavily rely on exports to China, were down as Seoul’s relations with Beijing have soured over the deployment of the advanced US anti-missile system on the Korean Peninsula.

Top cosmetics maker AmorePacific shed 0.54 percent, and its smaller rival LG Household & Health Care slid 1.45 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,111.2 won against the US dollar as of 9:15 a.m., up 2.8 won from the previous closing.


(theinvestor@heraldcorp.com)