Seoul shares open higher on U.S. gains
Oct. 2, 2013
South Korean stocks got off to a strong start Wednesday, tracking U.S. peers overnight on confidence that the U.S. government shutdown won't last long, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) advanced 12.30 points, or 0.62 percent, to 2,011.17 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Shares gathered ground across the board, with tech and financial blue-chips leading the climb. SK hynix, South Korea's chip giant, jumped more than 3.6 percent, and Shinhan Financial Group,