Seoul shares open higher on telecom, builder gains

SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks started higher on Thursday, driven
by gains in telecom and construction shares, analysts said.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 15.88 points, or
1.49 percent, to 1,082.96 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
The advance comes despite overnight setbacks in U.S. stocks. On Wednesday, the
Dow Jones industrial average declined 1.09 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq
composite fell 1.14 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,513.8 won to the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m.,
up 2.2 won from Wednesday's close.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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