Seoul: South Korean stocks opened higher Monday, driven by gains in semiconductor and defense shares. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 29.81 points, or 0.65 percent, to 4,616.13 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

According to Yonhap News Agency, on Friday (U.S. time), the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.48 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite added 0.81 percent. In Seoul, chip and defense shares led the upbeat start. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics added 0.36 percent, and its chipmaking rival SK hynix advanced 0.54 percent.

Defense giant Hanwha Aerospace increased 0.87 percent, and LIG Nex1 jumped 3.14 percent. Auto shares were also strong with industry leader Hyundai Motor soaring 2.73 percent, while its sister Kia climbed 0.53 percent. The local currency was trading at 1,460 won against the greenback at 9:15 a.m., down 1.7 won from the previous session.