Seoul shares opened slightly higher Wednesday as investors tracked overnight gains on Wall Street.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 1.92 points, or 0.07 percent, to 2,567.34 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Overnight, Wall Street closed higher amid investor optimism over tariff negotiations between Washington and its trading partners, as US President Donald Trump marked the 100th day of his second term in office on Tuesday.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.75 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite gained 0.55 percent. The S&P 500 added 0.58 percent.
In Seoul, defense and shipbuilding shares led the overall gains.
Top defense systems manufacturer Hanwha Aerospace added 0.12 percent, while HD Hyundai Heavy Industries rose 0.5 percent ahead of a scheduled visit by US Secretary of the Navy John Phelan to a company shipyard later in the day.
Financial and internet portal shares also advanced.
Kookmin Financial added 0.57 percent while top internet portal operator Naver climbed 1.68 percent.
Semiconductors and battery shares, however, retreated.
No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix slipped 0.66 percent, while leading battery company LG Energy Solution dropped 2.14 percent. Samsung Electronics remained flat from the previous session's closing price.
The local currency was trading at 1,430.8 won against the US dollar at 9:15 a.m., up 6.5 won from the previous session. (Yonhap)
