South Korean stocks got off to a strong start Monday, led by bullish large-cap shares, as investors opt for risky bets on the main bourse after steep falls last week, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) climbed 8.87 points, or 0.47 percent, to 1,879.03 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Auto and telecom stocks gathered ground, with Hyundai Motor soaring 2.19 percent and top mobile carrier SK Telecom rising 1.4 percent.

Market watchers expect the KOSPI to move upward this week, as share values have turned favorable for investors to seek a bargain after the index fell more than 2.5 percent last week.

The local currency was trading at 1,112.45 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., up 4.45 won from Friday's close. (Yonhap news)