Seoul Shares Open Higher on US Gains

South Korean stocks opened higher Thursday as investor sentiment got a boost from overnight gains in U.S. stock markets.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 19.36 points, or 1.23 percent, to 1,597.06 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Most shares got off to a strong start. Tech bellwether Samsung Electronics and top lender Kookmin Bank both gained ground. But Hyundai Heavy Industries, the world's largest shipbuilder, lost 0.64 percent on worries over its earnings.

U.S. stocks rallied Wednesday on financial gains and a rise in private-sector jobs. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 1.63 percent and the tech-dominated Nasdaq composite index rose 0.44 percent.

The tech-savvy Kosdaq market also rose 0.38 percent to 540.59.

The Korean currency was trading at 1,015.30 won to the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 1.80 won from Wednesday's close.