South Korean stocks started higher Monday led by gains in market heavyweights on the back of strong retail buying.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 8.04 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1993.84 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Tech giant Samsung Electronics rose 2.36 percent after it released its flagship smartphone Galaxy S6 with new materials and payment features to take on its U.S. rival Apple in the premium phone market.

Petrochemicals traded in the positive territory after West Texas Intermediate crude jumped 3.3 percent Friday.

No. 3 refiner S-Oil advanced 3.24 percent and Lotte Chemical, a petrochemical unit of Lotte Group, inclined 3.41 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,105.64 won against the U.S. dollar, down 7.35 won from Friday's close. (Yonhap)