Seoul: South Korean stocks opened higher Tuesday, following an overnight rise on Wall Street. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 7.77 points, or 0.23 percent, to 3,438.98 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

According to Yonhap News Agency, major U.S. stock indexes gathered ground as AI stocks, including Nvidia, rebounded after a bearish run driven by skepticism over the sector’s profitability. Traders are keeping an eye on the U.S. nonfarm payrolls report due Friday, which is expected to provide further details on how the U.S. job market is holding up and assist the Federal Reserve in deciding its future policy direction. Concerns are also present over a looming U.S. government shutdown, which could delay some economic data releases.

In Seoul, most large-cap shares were trading higher. Market top-cap Samsung Electronics added 0.59 percent, while its rival SK hynix rose 1.15 percent. Battery maker LG Energy Solution was trading flat, defense giant Hanwha Aerospace advanced 2.17 percent, and
major portal operator Naver retreated 0.18 percent. The local currency was trading at 1,401.3 won against the greenback, down 2.6 won from the previous session’s close.