(LEAD) Seoul shares open sharply higher on tech gains despite heightened Middle East tensions
South Korean stocks opened sharply higher on Monday, driven by gains in tech shares, despite heightened military tensions in the Middle East. The KOSPI rose 3.33 percent to 6,909.61 as of 9:15 a.m. Tech shares led the gains, with Samsung Electronics up 4.4 percent and SK hynix up 5.89 percent, following a rise in the PHLX semiconductor index on the release of OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra.
Why it matters: This highlights the theme of market resilience amid geopolitical risk, as tech gains offset concerns over Middle East tensions.