South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Tuesday, despite US President Donald Trump's planned imposition of tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 8.14 points, or 0.32 percent, to 2,540.92 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Overnight, major US shares slid after Trump said 25 percent tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada will take effect as planned on Tuesday, sparking fears of a global trade war.
The S&P 500 dropped 1.76 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq tumbled 2.64 percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 1.48 percent.
In Seoul, big-cap shares started mixed.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics fell 0.18 percent, and its chipmaking rival SK hynix, a key supplier to Nvidia, decreased 1.74 percent.
Leading battery maker LG Energy Solution lost 1.28 percent, and top carmaker Hyundai Motor edged down 0.16 percent.
But bio giants Samsung Biologics and Celltrion jumped 2.06 percent and 4.18 percent, respectively.
Major defense firm Hanwha Aerospace soared 10.61 percent, and leading shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean surged 7.67 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,460.8 won against the dollar at 9:15 a.m., up 2.6 won from the previous session. (Yonhap)
