Seoul stocks opened 1.2 percent higher on Friday as investors snapped up bargain-priced semiconductor shares following the previous session's sharp sell-off.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 53.44 points, or 0.7 percent, to 7,701.53 as of 9:15 a.m.
The index plunged 7.89 percent the previous session, dragged by heavy sell-off in Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.
Chipmakers rebounded from the previous session's sharp fall. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics rose 3.67 percent, and chip giant SK hynix gained 1.37 percent. The Korean won was trading at 1,546.3 won against the U.S. dollar, up 9.5 won from the previous session.
