Seoul shares open higher on U.S. gains

South Korean stocks began higher Wednesday as investor sentiment got a boost from overnight gains on Wall Street, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 0.22 percent, or 4.28 points, to 1942.46 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Tech blue chips drove up the shares, with top chipmaker SK hynix increasing 0.84 percent and handset maker LG Electronics climbing 0.58 percent. Flat panel giant LG Display moved up 1.63 percent.

Construction firms also traded higher, with No. 1 builder Hyundai Engineering & Construction adding 0.75 percent and Daewoo Engineering & Construction advancing 0.81 percent.

U.S. stocks ended higher Tuesday on the improved economic indicators from the eurozone, with the Dow Jones industrial average increasing 0.71 percent and the Nasdaq composite index adding 1.29 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1086.40 won to the greenback as of 9:15 a.m., up 0.40 won from Tuesday's close. (Yonhap News)