South Korean stocks opened a tad higher Friday on gains of semiconductor and auto shares.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 1.43 points, or 0.06 percent, to 2,523.33 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Foreign and retail investors purchased shares, offsetting institutional selling.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics rose 0.18 percent, and chip giant SK hynix surged 2.68 percent.
Top automaker Hyundai Motor soared 2.82 percent, and its sister affiliate Kia advanced 1.36 percent.
But leading battery maker LG Energy Solution sank 1.95 percent, and major bio firm Samsung Biologics lost 0.3 percent.
Top portal operator Naver went down 0.49 percent, and No. 1 steelmaker POSCO Holdings opened unchanged.
The local currency was trading at 1,459.30 won against the greenback at 9:15 a.m., up 1.2 won from the previous session.
US stock markets closed Thursday to observe a National Day of Mourning for former President Jimmy Carter. (Yonhap)
