Seoul shares open tad higher on US gains

South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Monday, tracking US gains. The won traded higher against the dollar.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 2.19 points, or 0.09 percent, to 2,364.01.

Foreigners continued to sell domestic stocks, weighing on the KOSPI index. They sold 162.9 billion won ($144 million) worth of stocks in the previous session.

On Friday (local time), the Dow Jones industrial average inched up 0.11 percent to end at 21,384.28, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite retreated 0.22 percent to 6,151.76.

Large-cap stocks traded mixed across the board.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics rose 0.66 percent, and major chipmaker SK hynix advanced 2.81 percent. But top carmaker Hyundai Motor fell 0.61 percent, and leading cosmetics maker AmorePacific declined 0.94 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,133.10 won against the US dollar, up 1.0 won from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)