The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 2.77 points, or 0.13 percent, to 2,171.07 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Top automaker Hyundai Motor declined 1.47 percent, while top steelmaker POSCO rose 0.71 percent.
Naver, the operator of the country's top Internet portal, gained 0.59 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,119.20 won against the US dollar, up 4.6 won from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)