Seoul shares open higher on hopeful U.S. data

South Korean stocks opened higher Thursday, tracking overnight U.S. rallies on better housing data, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) climbed 4.88 points, or 0.25 percent, to 1,960.03 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Leading carmaker Hyundai Motor gained 0.22 percent and its affiliate auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis added 0.84 percent. Mobile phone maker LG Electronics increased 1.85 percent.

U.S. stocks ended higher on Wednesday following forecast-beating housing data at home, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 0.04 percent and the NASDAQ composite index climbing 0.1 percent.

The local currency was changing hands at 1,104.9 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 0.6 won from Wednesday's close. (Yonhap News)