Seoul shares open slightly higher ahead of earnings season

A screen in Hana Bank's trading room in central Seoul shows stock and foreign exchange markets open on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

Korean stocks opened marginally higher Tuesday, as investors took a breather from recent rallies ahead of the earnings reports.

The benchmark Kospi gained 3.22 points, or 0.13 percent, to trade at 2,403.08 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

After opening higher, the main index had briefly turned lower before reverting to the green, in line with analysts' prediction that trading will likely remain choppy for the day.

Tech and auto stocks gathered ground, with Samsung Electronics rising 0.2 percent and SK hynix climbing 1.6 percent.

Automaker Hyundai Motor also added 0.3 percent.

Battery makers fell. LG Energy Solution shed 0.6 percent and Samsung SDI lost 0.5 percent.

The local currency had been trading at 1,238.20 won against the dollar as of 9:15 a.m., up 2.9 won from Monday's close.

Yonhap