Seoul shares opened higher Friday, with no major guidance in the markets due to the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States on Thursday.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 3.38 points, or 0.13 percent, to 2,518.34 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Market participants expected the Federal Reserve is near the end of its hiking cycle and rate cuts are likely in 2024. But the latest Fed minutes said officials have no intention to ease the monetary policy.

In Seoul, large-cap stocks were mixed.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics rose 0.2 percent, No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix climbed 0.9 percent, top carmaker Hyundai Motor climbed 0.3 percent, leading chemical firm LG Chem gained 2.8 percent, and leading steelmaker Posco Holdings was up 0.2 percent.

Among decliners, national flag carrier Korean Air fell 0.4 percent, and Korea Aerospace Industries, the country's sole aircraft manufacturer, declined 0.4 percent. Leading car battery maker LG Energy Solution was down 0.3 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,299.55 won against the US dollar, down 2.05 won from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)