▲ This photo, taken July 14, 2026, shows the dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul after the market close. (Yonhap)

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Seoul shares open higher, tracking Wall Street gains amid Middle East tensions

SEOUL, July 15 (Yonhap) -- Seoul shares opened higher Wednesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street, though continued uncertainty in the Middle East remains a concern for investors.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 226.08 points, or 3.3 percent, to 7,082.91 at the opening bell.

The index closed 0.73 percent higher Tuesday after rebounding from an 8.95 percent plunge a session earlier due to a massive sell-off of technology stocks.

Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.02 percent to 52,508.27, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.9 percent to 26,107.01.

Renewed tensions between the United States and Iran in the Middle East are expected to continue to weigh on investor sentiment.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday (U.S. time) dropped his proposal to impose a 20 percent "reimbursement" fee on cargo shipped through the crucial Strait of Hormuz, saying that he will replace it with trade and investment deals with Middle Eastern countries.

Just a day earlier, he said the U.S. will serve as the "guardian" of the strait and be reimbursed at a 20 percent rate on all cargo shipped through the waterway.



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