Seoul shares open higher on eased currency woes

South Korean stocks opened higher Tuesday, as fears of a weak Japanese yen eased following a market rattle last week, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 11.70 points, or 0.6 percent to 1,960.40 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Top-listed firms drove up shares, with Samsung Electronics rising 0.7 percent and auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis jumping 1.5 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,111.80 won against the U.S. dollar, down 0.1 won from Monday's close. (Yonhap News)