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

South Korean stocks started higher Monday on gains from semiconductor and battery shares.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 14.75 points, or 0.57 percent, to 2,598.02 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics added 1.61 percent, and its chipmaking rival SK hynix gained 0.75 percent.

Leading EV battery maker LG Energy Solution increased 0.86 percent, while Posco Future M surged 3.74 percent.

Top carmaker Hyundai Motor went up 0.67 percent, and its sister company Kia jumped 2.59 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,388.95 won against the US dollar, down 0.25 won from the previous session. (Yonhap)