South Korean stocks got off a strong start Friday, tracking the gains seen in U.S. peers overnight on better economic data, analyst said.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) climbed 9.21 points or 0.47 percent to trade at 1,983.48 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Most shares trended in positive terrain, with utilities and brokerage houses leading the gain. State-run electricity provider Korea Electric Power Corp. jumped about 2.5 percent with No. 2 player Woori Investment & Securities rising nearly 2 percent.
U.S. markets gathered ground on Thursday after the jobless rate fell to a five-year low last week, with housing figures reaching a more than four-year high.
The local currency was trading at 1,056.15 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., up 1.95 won from Thursday's close. (Yonhap News)
