SEOUL: South Korean stocks started a tad higher on Thursday following overnight gains on Wall Street, analysts said.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 7.37 points, or 0.39 percent, to 1,901.46 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Most stocks traded in positive territory. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics jumped 1.12 percent and chipmaker SK hynix vaulted 3.29 percent.
No. 1 carmaker Hyundai Motor advanced 0.33 percent and its sister affiliate, Kia Motors, added 0.2 percent.
The U.S. market skyrocketed on Wednesday on rising hopes that the U.S. Federal Reserve may delay its interest rate hike. The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 3.95 percent, the biggest single-day gain in seven years.
The local currency was trading at 1,184.1 won against the U.S. dollar, up 1.9 won from Wednesday’s close.