Seoul: South Korean stocks opened higher Wednesday, bucking an overnight decline on Wall Street, as foreign investors went bargain hunting for a second consecutive session. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 9.9 points, or 0.31 percent, to 3,182.25 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

According to Yonhap News Agency, overnight, Wall Street's three major indexes lost ground, led by losses in big tech companies, including artificial intelligence (AI) chip maker Nvidia. Investors are paying attention to the U.S. federal appeals court's upcoming ruling over President Trump's sweeping tariffs and the August employment data set to be released Friday (U.S. time).

In Seoul, tech, defense and battery makers led the gains. Top-cap Samsung Electronics added 0.43 percent and rival SK hynix inched up 0.1 percent. Major battery maker LG Energy Solution moved up 0.57 percent, and defense giant Hanwha Aerospace advanced 1.61 percent.

The local currency had been quoted at 1,395.3 won against the greenback as of 9:15 a.m., down 4.3 won from the previous session's close.