Seoul shares open higher ahead of BOK rate decision

A screen in Hana Bank's trading room in central Seoul shows stock and foreign exchange markets close on Thursday. [YONHAP]

Seoul shares opened higher Friday as investors await a rate hike decision by the Bank of Korea later in the morning.

The benchmark Kospi had added 15.47 points, or 0.65 percent, to 2,380.57 as of 9:15 a.m.

The central bank is widely expected to raise its policy rate by 25 basis points to 3.5 percent as part of efforts to tame inflation.

In Seoul, most large cap shares got off to a solid start.

Samsung Electronics inched up 0.33 percent, while SK hynix lost 0.58 percent.

Portal operator Naver added 2.48 percent, Hyundai Motor grew 1.5 percent, and Samsung Biologics increased 0.62 percent.

The local currency was trading hands at 1,237.2 won against the dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 8.6 won from the previous session's close.

Yonhap