Seoul shares open higher on U.S. gains

South Korean stocks opened higher on Wednesday, tracking gains on Wall Street in the previous trading session, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) moved up 3.85 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,958.20 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Shares gathered ground across the board, with leading chipmaker SK hynix rising 0.87 percent and top steelmaker POSCO climbing 0.31 percent. No. 1 auto parts manufacturer Hyundai Mobis moved up 0.58 percent.

U.S. stocks ended higher on Tuesday due to the rising hope for the global economic recovery, with the Dow Jones industrial average adding 0.58 percent to an all-time high and the NASDAQ composite index rising 0.11 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,087.05 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., up 4.35 won from Tuesday's close. (Yonhap News)