Seoul stocks open higher on Wall Street gains

By Lee Youkyung
SEOUL, Nov. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korean shares got off to a stronger start
Tuesday as investors took comfort from overnight gains in the U.S., analysts
said.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) advanced 8.07 points, or
0.51 percent, to 1,600.54 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
On Monday, U.S. markets closed higher on better-than-expected October retail
sales data and the Fed chairman's hint at an interest rate freeze. The Dow Jones
industrial average rose 1.33 percent and the tech-focused Nasdaq composite index
gained 1.38 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,150.85 won to the U.S. dollar as of 9:15
a.m., up 3.95 won from the Monday's close.
ylee@yna.co.kr
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