Seoul stocks started higher Friday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street, buoyed by rising hope for progress in the protracted US-China trade dispute.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) increased 8.33 points, or 0.42 percent, to 2,013.08 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
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(Yonhap) |
The US stock market ended sharply higher on Thursday (local time) on reports that the world's top two economies plan to hold high-level dialogue next month to deal with their yearlong trade frictions.
Market kingpin Samsung Electronics moved up 0.98 percent, and panelmaker LG Display rose 0.71 percent. No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix shed 0.36 percent.
Shipbuilders also started higher, with Samsung Heavy Industries rising 3.97 percent and Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering advancing 4.8 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,197.85 won against the US dollar, up 2.35 won from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)
