South Korean stocks got off to a strong start Tuesday buoyed by gains in telecom and tech companies, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shot up 12.43 points, or 0.63 percent, to 1,973.58 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Hyundai Mobis, a blue-chip auto parts maker, jumped more than 2 percent, with top mobile carrier SK Telecom rising 1.6 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,051.55 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 0.05 won from Monday's close. (Yonhap News)