Seoul: South Korean stocks opened sharply higher Tuesday, jumping nearly 1 percent, despite overnight U.S. losses. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 38.52 points, or 0.98 percent, to 3,958.89 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

According to Yonhap News Agency, overnight Wall Street gave back some of last week's rally as Bitcoin fell again. The S and P 500 slipped 0.2 percent, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.5 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite was 0.2 percent lower.

In Seoul, most large-cap shares traded higher. Chip giant Samsung Electronics increased 0.89 percent, and rival SK hynix gained 2.61 percent. Carmakers were among the gainers, with No. 1 automaker Hyundai Motor jumping 4.91 percent and Kia adding 2.89 percent.

In contrast, defense giant Hanwha Aerospace decreased 2.71 percent, and leading battery maker LG Energy Solution was unchanged. The local currency was trading at 1,472.15 won against the greenback as of 9:15 a.m., down 2.25 won from the previous session's close.