South Korean shares opened higher Thursday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street, with advances in tech and auto stocks lending support.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 6.5 points, or 0.2 percent, to 3,204.64 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Overnight, US stocks closed higher, led by tech gains, as investors shrugged off US President Donald Trump's latest tariff announcements.
The Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.21 percent to close at 21,169.42 Wednesday, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.18 percent to 44,193.12.
In Seoul, auto and tech stocks led the gains.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics rose 1.53 percent on news that the chipmaker will manufacture Apple Inc.'s next-generation processor at its foundry in Austin, Texas.
Hyundai Motor advanced 1.43 percent following reports that the Korean automaker and General Motors Co. will jointly develop five new models for American markets.
Top shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries jumped 3.11 percent, while tech firm Kakao surged 5.99 percent, and leading battery maker LG Energy Solution edged up 0.13 percent.
Among decliners, major steelmaker POSCO Holdings slipped 0.5 percent, and leading refiner SK Innovation dropped 0.87 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,386.2 won against the greenback at 9:15 a.m., up 3.3 won from the previous session. (Yonhap)
