Seoul shares opened flat on Thursday amid easing anxiety about the global banking system.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index moved slightly up 0.65 point, or 0.03 percent, to 2,444.57 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Overnight, US stocks closed up, led by tech gains amid improved sentiment about the global banking sector.

The S&P 500 went up 1.42 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 1 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 1.79 percent.

In Seoul, most large caps opened mixed.

Chipmakers gained ground, with Samsung Electronics adding 1.12 percent and SK hynix rising 3.22 percent. Portal operator Naver climbed 0.15 percent.

Battery makers declined. LG Energy Solution shed 0.34 percent, and Samsung SDI declined 0.95 percent. Leading carmaker Hyundai Motor lost 0.5 percent, and Kia went down 0.5 percent. Bio heavyweight Samsung Biologics also inched down 1.01 percent.

The local currency was trading hands at 1,306.4 won against the dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 3.7 won from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)