(LEAD) stocks-open

▲ Financial data is displayed on a screen at Hana Bank's dealing room in central Seoul on Sept. 23, 2026. (Yonhap)

(ATTN: UPDATES with latest details in paras 2, 6-9)

SEOUL, Sept. 30 (Yonhap) -- Seoul stocks opened higher Wednesday, tracking overnight gains in U.S. semiconductor shares, though elevated U.S. Treasury yields weighed on the investor sentiment.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index, or KOSPI, gained 80.46 points, or 1.17 percent, to 6,951.27 as of 9:15 a.m.

Overnight, U.S. stocks ended slightly lower despite a decline in oil prices, as persistently high Treasury yields continued to weigh on investor sentiment.

Semiconductor shares, however, bucked the broader weakness. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rose 1.32 percent, providing a positive cue for South Korean chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.17 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.26 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite ticked down 0.09 percent.

Market heavyweights were mostly higher.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics rose 1.1 percent, while chip giant SK hynix gained 2.32 percent.

SK Square, the parent company of SK hynix, added 2.33 percent, while Samsung Electro-Mechanics, an electronics component affiliate of Samsung Electronics, increased 1.51 percent.

The Korean won was trading at 1,351 won against the U.S. dollar, up 3 won from the close of the previous stock trading session.

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