Seoul shares open higher on tech, auto gains

SEOUL, Dec. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks started higher Monday as
investors, heartened by a U.S. auto aid package, picked up tech blue chips and
automakers, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) climbed 13.52 points, or
1.14 percent, to 1,194.49 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
U.S. stocks closed mixed Friday even as the government decided to offer US$17.4
billion in emergency loans to two teetering carmakers -- General Motors and
Chrysler LLC. The Dow Jones industrial average shed 0.3 percent while the
tech-dominated Nasdaq composite index added 0.77 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,291 to the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down
1 won from Friday's close.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
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