South Korean shares opened higher Wednesday as a bitter verbal war between the United States and North Korea seems to have eased.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 19.03 points, or 0.82 percent, to 2,353.25 in the first 15 minutes of trading.


Most large caps traded mixed with market kingpin Samsung Electronics adding 2.8 percent.

Top automaker Hyundai Motor fell 0.35 percent, and top steelmaker POSCO declined 1.23 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,134.55 won against the US dollar, up 5.25 won from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)