Seoul: South Korean stocks opened a tad higher Monday as investors continued to navigate the path of the Donald Trump administration's tariff scheme. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 5.93 points, or 0.23 percent, to 2,552.23 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Retail investors bought shares, offsetting selling by foreigners and institutions.
According to Yonhap News Agency, U.S. shares rose on Friday on tech gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.05 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite jumped 1.26 percent. In Seoul, big-cap shares traded mixed. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics opened unchanged, while chip giant SK hynix fell 0.87 percent.
Leading battery maker LG Energy Solution advanced 1.15 percent, and No. 1 steelmaker POSCO Holdings increased 0.19 percent. Leading biotech firm Samsung Biologics added 0.58 percent, but major pharmaceutical firm Celltrion decreased 0.25 percent. Leading shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy lost 0.62 percent, while its rival Hanwha Ocean soared 4.12 percent.
Carmakers also opened mixed, with top automaker Hyundai Motor falling 0.37 percent, while its sister affiliate Kia gained 0.34 percent. The local currency was trading at 1,436.75 won against the U.S. dollar at 9:15 a.m., down 0.25 won from the previous session.