South Korean stocks started a tad higher Wednesday on gains in oil refiners and chemical shares as overnight global crude prices closed higher, analysts said.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 2.01 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,113.73 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Petrochemicals traded higher after prices of crude oil in New York rose to a one-week high after a forecast that U.S. shale oil output in May would record its first monthly decline in more than four years.
OCI, a leading chemical compound maker, jumped 4.63 percent and Lotte Chemical gained 1.87 percent.
Leading oil refiner SK Innovation gained 2.67 percent and S-Oil moved up 1.24 percent.
Asian Airlines fell 1.69 percent after one of its passenger jets skidded off a runway after landing in rain at a Japanese airport on the previous day.
The local currency was changing hands at 1,093.4 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., up 0.6 won from Tuesday's close.(Yonhap)
