South Korean stocks opened marginally higher Friday as investor sentiment was buoyed by moderate US consumer price data.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 12.23 points, or 0.47 percent, to 2,613.79 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

The US July consumer price index rose 3.2 percent, slower than the market expectation of a 3.3 percent rise.

On Wall Street, stocks finished slightly higher, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average increasing 0.15 percent and the Nasdaq Composite adding 0.12 percent.

In Seoul, market heavyweights lent support to the upbeat start.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics advanced 0.88 percent, and its chipmaking rival SK hynix gained 0.51 percent.

Top carmaker Hyundai Motor rose 1.86 percent and its smaller affiliate Kia climbed 2.28 percent.

The tourism sector continued its bullish run as China allowed group tours to South Korea, with leading travel agency Hanatour Service jumping 1.89 percent and top hotel operator Hotel Shilla soaring 3 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,319.65 won against the US dollar at 9:15 a.m., down 4.25 won from Thursday's close. (Yonhap)