(LEAD) stocks-open

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SEOUL, Nov. 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks started sharply higher Wednesday, driven by gains in tech shares as investors awaited results from the U.S. midterm elections.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 124.21 points, or 2.2 percent, to 5,773 as of 9:15 a.m.

Overnight on Wall Street, the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.83 percent on strong chip shares and the S&P 500 climbed 0.36 percent. The PHLX chip index climbed 2.63 percent.

Voting in the U.S. midterm elections started Tuesday, which could reshape the policy directions of President Donald Trump's second half in office.

In Seoul, market bellwether Samsung Electronics rose 1.94 percent, and chip giant SK hynix jumped 3.86 percent.

Hanmi Semiconductor, a leading chip equipment maker, vaulted 4.89 percent, and Samsung Electro-Mechanics, the electronic component unit of Samsung Electronics, mounted 3.17 percent.

Major shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries added 1.39 percent, and game publisher NC increased 2.92 percent.

The Korean won was trading at 1,345.5 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 1 won from the close of the previous session.

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