SEOUL: South Korean stocks started higher Friday on robust gains by tech firms, analysts said.
The benchmark Korea Composite added 6.13 points, or 0.31 percent, to 1,957.15 in the first 25 minutes of trading.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics jumped 0.81 percent, and chipmaker SK hynix rose 0.63 percent. Samsung SDI jumped 1.59 percent.
Airliners were bullish on falling crude prices, with No. 1 Korean Air Lines gaining 1.39 percent and Asiana Airlines advancing 4.78 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,098.25 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:25 a.m., down 4.35 won from Thursday’s close.