South Korean stocks opened higher Friday, led by gains in tech shares.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 3.62 points, or 0.18 percent, to 2,024.72 in the first 15 minutes of trading.


Tech shares gained, with Samsung Electronics increasing 1.59 percent and top chipmaker SK hynix jumping 2.09 percent

Auto shares were mixed, with market leader Hyundai Motor decreasing 0.37 percent while its smaller affiliate Kia Motors increasing 0.47 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,125.00 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 0.60 won from Thursday's close. (Yonhap)