Seoul: Seoul shares opened sharply higher Wednesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street, as hopes run high over a second round of peace talks between the United States and Iran. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) opened at 6,141.60, up 173.85 points, or 2.91 percent.
According to Yonhap News Agency, on Tuesday, the KOSPI rose 2.74 percent to close at 5,967.75, briefly testing the 6,000-point level for the first time since March 3, when it traded at 6,180.45, the first trading session following U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. The U.S. and Iran are reportedly seeking to hold a second round of peace talks, days after the first round of their negotiations ended without an agreement.
U.S. stocks ended higher overnight. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.66 percent, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1.96 percent.