South Korean stocks started a tad higher Wednesday led by gains in tech and financial shares.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 5.65 points, or 0.23 percent, to 2,499.93 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Overnight, U.S. stocks finished mixed, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average retreating 0.2 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite edging up 0.3 percent.

In Seoul, chipmakers lent support to the positive opening, with No. 1 Samsung Electronics rising 0.84 percent and SK hynix climbing 0.71 percent.

Banks and insurers were also in positive territory as Hana Financial Group added 0.6 percent and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance advanced 1.73 percent.

But leading battery maker LG Energy Solution declined 0.12 percent and steel giant Posco Holdings lost 0.87 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,312.5 won against the U.S. dollar, down 1.3 won from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)