An electronic board showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index at a dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on Thursday. (Yonhap)
An electronic board showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index at a dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on Thursday. (Yonhap)

South Korean stocks started slightly higher Thursday despite losses on Wall Street, driven by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's pessimistic comments on economic growth.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 9.85 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,457.28 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Overnight, Wall Street closed sharply lower after Powell said higher-than-expected tariffs would lead to higher inflation and slower growth and remained firm about a possible rate movement.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.73 percent, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 3.07 percent.

In Seoul, major shares traded in mixed territory.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics rose 0.37 percent, but its chipmaking rival SK hynix fell 0.52 percent.

Top carmaker Hyundai Motor advanced 0.83 percent, but its auto parts affiliate Hyundai Mobis dropped 0.21 percent.

Major shipyard HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering increased 1.33 percent, and leading biotech firm Samsung Biologics climbed 0.78 percent.

No. 1 mobile carrier SK Telecom fell 0.52 percent, and leading retailer Lotte Shopping retreated 0.16 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,419.2 won against the US dollar at 9:15 a.m., up 7.5 won from the previous session. (Yonhap)