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SEOUL, Aug. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korean shares opened sharply higher Thursday, led by gains in major chipmakers, tracking an overnight gains in U.S. technology stocks.

After opening 2.96 percent higher, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) traded up 290.02 points, or 4.41 percent, at 6,869.06 as of 9:15 a.m.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) opened 194.88 points, or 2.96 percent, higher at 6,773.92.

Overnight, U.S. stocks tied to the artificial intelligence technology sector rose.

The S&P 500 gained 0.26 percent, closing just shy of a record high, while the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 0.54 percent. In contrast, the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down 0.04 percent.

In Seoul, most large-cap shares traded higher.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics increased 5.19 percent, while its chipmaking rival SK hynix jumped 7.71 percent.

SK Square, the parent of SK hynix, shot up 10.16 percent and Samsung Electro-Mechanics, an electronics component affiliate of Samsung Electronics, shot up 13.18 percent.

The Korean won was trading at 1,414.6 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., up 3.9 won from the end of stock trading the previous day.

khj@yna.co.kr

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