Seoul shares rise on bargain hunting

SEOUL, Oct. 9 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Thursday as bargain hunters snapped up blue chips following recent plunges stemming from persistent market jitters, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 9.74 points, or 0.76
percent, to 1,296.43 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Tech and builders led the overall gains, with Samsung Electronics adding 1.7
percent and LG Electronics rising more than 2 percent. Daewoo Engineering &
Construction also added more than 2.5 percent.
Machinery stocks, however, continued to lose ground from the previous session.
Leading power generator producer Doosan Heavy Industries slumped 1.27 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,442.55 won to the U.S. dollar as of 9:15
a.m., down a whopping 47.55 won from Wednesday's close, as offshore investors
continued buying the greenback amid a financial rout, according to dealers.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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