Seoul shares open higher with tech, auto gains

SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks opened higher Thursday, helped by gains in techs and autos.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 30.11 points, or 0.96 percent, to 3,160.2 as of 9:15 a.m.
Overnight, the U.S. stock indexes ended mixed after tech heavyweights pared most of their earlier steep losses.
The S&P 500 dipped 0.2 percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1 percent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite fell 0.7 percent.
In Seoul, top-cap shares traded higher.
Chip giant Samsung Electronics went up 1.84 percent. Leading battery maker LG Energy Solution inched up 0.26 percent.
Top automaker Hyundai Motor added 1.25 percent, while its sister Kia edged up 0.29 percent.
Defense giant Hanwha Aerospace increased 2.88 percent, and leading financial firm KB Financial inched up 0.27 percent.
Among heavyweights, only chipmaker SK hynix declined, dropping 2.35 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,397.15 won against the greenback at 9:15 a.m., up 1.25 won from the previous session.

Sumber : yna.co.kr