Seoul shares open higher on U.S. gains

South Korean stocks got off to a strong start on Wednesday, boosted by overnight gains on Wall Street, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) jumped 10.5 points, or 0.56 percent, to 1,878.32 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Foreign investors continued to scoop up shares, and are set to become net buyers for the third straight session. Retail investors, however, opted to lock in profits.

Shares gathered ground across the board, with Samsung Electronics and LG Chem rising 0.77 percent and 2.78 percent, respectively.

The local currency was trading at 1,135.7 won to the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., up 2.6 won from Tuesday's close. (Yonhap News)