South Korean stocks started a shade higher on Tuesday as investor sentiment got a boost from overnight Wall Street gains.
  

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index moved up 2.23 points, or 0.11 percent, to stand at 1,966.91 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
  

The Dow Jones industrial average edged up 0.8 percent on Monday, with the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite gaining 0.1 percent.
  

Autos led the gains as industry leader Hyundai Motor surged 1.26 percent and its sister affiliate, Kia Motors, jumped 2.14 percent. Car parts maker Hyundai Mobis pushed up 1.2 percent.
  

Techs were mixed, with handset giant Samsung Electronics dropping 1.04 percent while top chipmaker SK hynix went up 0.43 percent.
  

Financial shares were in positive turf, with Shinhan Financial adding 0.12 percent and KB Financial climbing 0.86 percent. Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance also stepped up 0.9 percent.
  

The local currency was trading at 1,178.85 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 4.15 won from Monday's close. (Yonhap)