▲ Stock prices are displayed on a screen at Hana Bank's dealing room in Seoul on July 2, 2026. (Yonhap)

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Seoul stocks open 1.2 pct higher on bargain hunting

SEOUL, July 3 (Yonhap) -- Seoul stocks opened higher Friday as investors snapped up bargain-priced semiconductor shares following the previous session's sharp sell-off, despite overnight weakness in U.S. technology stocks.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 91.66 points, or 1.2 percent, to 7,739.75 at the opening bell.

The index plunged 7.89 percent the previous session, dragged by heavy sell-off in Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.

Overnight, The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose more than 1 percent to a record high as weaker-than-expected June jobs data eased concerns over a near-term interest rate hike. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 0.8 percent, weighed down by another sharp sell-off in semiconductor stocks.

The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index tumbled 5.4 percent, extending its decline for a second consecutive session.

Investors will also be watching reports that AI startup Anthropic is in talks with Samsung Electronics to develop a custom AI chip.

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