South Korean stocks opened higher Friday despite overnight losses on Wall Street caused by increased geopolitical risks and market uncertainties.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 45.86 points, or 0.81 percent, to 5,723.11 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
The KOSPI has been on a bull run in recent sessions and set a new closing record of 5,677.25 on Thursday amid optimism surrounding artificial intelligence and subsequent gains in chipmakers and other big-cap technology shares.
On Thursday, US shares lost ground amid fears that a standoff between the United States and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program may escalate. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.54 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite lost 0.32 percent. The S&P 500 declined 0.28 percent.
In Seoul, big-cap shares opened mixed.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics shed 0.16 percent, while chip giant SK hynix lost 0.56 percent on profit-taking.
Top automaker Hyundai Motor fell 0.19 percent, and its sister affiliate Kia decreased 0.35 percent.
Leading battery maker LG Energy Solution inched down 0.12 percent, and AI investment firm SK Square sank 1.77 percent.
Bio shares traded mixed. Pharmaceutical giant Samsung Biologics went up 0.87 percent, while Celltrion slid 0.41 percent.
Nuclear power plant builder Doosan Enerbility surged 6.81 percent, and defense giant Hanwha Aerospace spiked 5.48 percent.
Leading shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy and its rival Hanwha Ocean advanced 3.14 percent and 2.06 percent, respectively.
Financials gathered ground. KB Financial added 1.86 percent, and Shinhan Financial grew 1.88 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,450.95 won against the greenback at 9:15 a.m., down 5.45 won from the previous session. (Yonhap)
