South Korean stocks opened higher Monday as chip and bio shares gained ground.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 5.86 points, or 0.23 percent, to 2,530.91 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics climbed 1.09 percent, and No. 2 chipmaker 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 its smaller affiliate Kia up more than 1 percent.

But battery shares got off to a weak start.

Industry leader 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 leading chemical producer LG Chem also shed 0.56 percent and 0.89 percent, respectively.

The local currency was trading at 1,316.90 won against the US dollar, down 3.4 won from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)