Seoul shares open higher on U.S. gains

South Korean stocks opened higher on Friday as overnight rallies on Wall Street cheered investors, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) edged up 1.03 points, or 0.06 percent, to 1,823.99 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

U.S. stocks closed higher on Thursday as earnings from technology companies outweighed concerns over weak employment data.

Tech issues led the gains, with SK hynix, the world's No. 2 memory chip maker, jumping 3.68 percent and LG Electronics adding 2.82 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,139.85 won to the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 0.75 won from Thursday's close. (Yonhap News)