Seoul shares open higher despite US losses

South Korean stocks opened higher Thursday despite overnight losses on Wall Street, led by gains in top cap Samsung Electronics. The won rose against the US dollar.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 1.56 points, or 0.07 percent, to 2,359.09. 

Foreigners turned net buyers after shedding 183 billion won worth of stocks in the previous session. On Wednesday (local time), the Dow Jones industrial average moved down 0.27 percent to end at 21,410.03.

Large-cap stocks mostly rose across the board.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics rose 0.63 percent, major chipmaker SK hynix advanced 1.54 percent and top automaker Hyundai Motor climbed 0.31 percent. 

In contrast, leading auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis fell 0.20 percent, No. 1 steelmaker POSCO declined 0.94 percent and cosmetics giant AmorePacific was down 0.16 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,140.70 won against the US dollar, up 3.30 won from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)