Shares open higher on chip, bio gains

Screens in Hana Bank's trading room in central Seoul show stock and foreign exchange markets close on Friday. [YONHAP]

Shares opened higher on Monday as chip and bio shares gained ground.
 
The Kospi added 5.86 points, or 0.23 percent, to 2,530.91 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
 
Samsung Electronics climbed 1.09 percent, and SK hynix rose 0.75 percent.
 
Samsung Biologics also added 0.67 percent, and Celltrion climbed 0.66 percent.
 
Auto shares also started in positive terrain, with Hyundai Motor up 0.22 percent and Kia up more than 1 percent.
 
But battery shares got off to a weak start.
 
LG Energy Solution dropped 1.57 percent, Samsung SDI retreated 1.72 percent, and Posco Future M lost 0.48 percent.
 
Steel giant Posco Holdings and LG Chem also shed 0.56 percent and 0.89 percent, respectively.
 
The local currency was trading at 1,316.90 won against the dollar, up 3.4 won from the previous session's close.

BY KIM JU-YEON, YONHAP [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]