Seoul: South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Friday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street after investors regained confidence in technology shares following Nvidia's earnings report. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 9.98 points, or 0.31 percent, to 3,206.3 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite closed 0.53 percent higher, and the S and P 500 rose 0.32 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.16 percent, boosting the sentiments in Seoul's stock market.
In Seoul, top tech giant Samsung Electronics climbed 0.72 percent, while SK hynix shed 0.84 percent. Chemical shares started bullish, with LG Chem moving up 0.8 percent and AmorePacific increasing 0.67 percent.
Leading carmaker Hyundai Motor gained 0.45 percent, and its smaller sister Kia added 1.32 percent. Meanwhile, the local currency was trading at 1,385.4 won against the U.S. dollar at 9:15 a.m., up 2.2 from the previous session.