[THE INVESTOR] South Korean stocks opened higher on Nov. 20, led by gains in market heavyweights, including market cap Samsung Electronics.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 7.6 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,541.59 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Market kingpin Samsung Electronics was up 0.11 percent to extend its gains for a third day. SK hynix, a major chipmaker, also advanced 0.36 percent.

In contrast, Hyundai Motor, the No. 1 automaker, moved down 1.59 percent, and its auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis fell 0.98 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,096.7 won against the US dollar, up 0.8 won from the previous session‘s close.

By Alex Lee and newswires (alexlee@heraldcorp.com)