Kospi opens lower despite gains on Wall Street

A screen in Hana Bank's trading room in central Seoul shows the stock market price as it opens on Thursday. [YONHAP]

Stocks opened a tad lower Thursday despite gains on Wall Street.

The Kospi lost 1.98 points, or 0.07 percent, to hit 2,753.13 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

U.S. stocks finished higher to end their three-day losing streak on Wednesday (U.S. time). The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1.2 percent, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.5 percent.

In Seoul, large-cap shares led the bearish start.

LG Energy Solution dropped 1.1 percent and LG Chem skidded 0.45 percent.

Hyundai Motor retreated 0.61 percent and SK Telecom slid 1.11 percent.

But chipmakers were in positive territory, with Samsung Electronics rising 0.38 percent and SK hynix advancing 0.28 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,352.4 won against the dollar, up 3.7 won from the previous session's close.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG, YONHAP [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]