[THE INVESTOR] South Korean shares opened higher on Aug. 9 on the back of gains in tech and auto stocks.

The benchmark KOSPI rose 5.15 points, or 0.25 percent, to 2,036.27 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Large caps traded mixed with market kingpin Samsung Electronics gaining 0.06 percent. Major chipmaker SK hynix fell 1.14 percent. 


Top automaker Hyundai Motor rose 1.5 percent, and its affiliate Kia Motors inched up 0.61 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,106.80 won against the US dollar, up 1.7 won from the previous session’s close.

(theinvestor@heraldcorp.com)