Seoul shares open higher on US gains

South Korean stocks opened higher Tuesday, tracking gains on Wall Street. The won traded lower against the dollar.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 5.48 points, or 0.23 percent, to 2,376.38.

On Monday (US time), the Dow Jones industrial average moved up 0.68 percent to end at 21,528.99, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite also advanced 1.42 percent to 6,239.01.

Large-cap stocks were mixed across the board.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics rose 1.59 percent, and major chipmaker SK hynix climbed 3.5 percent. But top carmaker Hyundai Motor fell 0.31 percent, and leading cosmetics maker AmorePacific backtracked 1.95 percent early in the session.

The local currency was trading at 1,137.25 won against the US dollar, down 4.55 won from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)