Seoul shares start higher on simmering U.S.-Iran peace talks

▲ This EPA photo shows the lobby of the Serena Hotel, which previously hosted Iran-US peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 15, 2026. (Yonhap)

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Seoul shares start higher on simmering U.S.-Iran peace talks

SEOUL, April 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks opened higher Thursday on hopes for a second round of U.S.-Iran peace talks.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 51.53 points, or 0.85 percent, to 6,142.92 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

In an interview with Fox News released Wednesday (U.S. time), U.S. President Donald Trump said that the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran is "very close to over," while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the next round of peace talks with Tehran will "very likely" take place in Pakistan.

Rising hopes for the second round of peace talks pushed up U.S. stocks, with the benchmark S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rallying to record closing highs.

Over the weekend, the U.S. and Iran sat together for peace talks after agreeing to a two-week ceasefire but failed to iron out their differences on terms of the deal.

In Seoul, large-cap shares led the early gains.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics rose 0.36 percent, and chip giant SK hynix gained 0.09 percent.

Top carmaker Hyundai Motor climbed 6.1 percent, and leading battery maker LG Energy Solution increased 0.61 percent.

Internet giant Naver went up 3.32 percent, and major banking group KB Financial Group advanced 2.21 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,474.95 won against the U.S. dollar at 9:15 a.m., down 0.95 won from the previous session's close.

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