Seoul shares opened slightly higher Wednesday as investors' anxiety about the global banking system has eased.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) moved up 5.61 points, or 0.23 percent, to 2,440.55 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Overnight, U.S. stocks closed lower as traders shifted their attention back to the concerns of future rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.
The S&P 500 lost 0.16 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.12 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 0.45 percent.
In Seoul, most large caps traded mixed.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics shed 0.64 percent, and SK hynix declined 0.79 percent. Portal operator Naver slipped 0.05 percent.
Leading carmaker Hyundai Motor gained 0.28 percent, and Kia went up 1.3 percent. Bio heavyweight Samsung Biologics increased 0.25 percent.
The local currency was trading hands at 1,296.3 won against the dollar as of 9:15 a.m., up 2.5 won from the previous session's close.
Source: Yonhap News Agency