Seoul shares open higher on extended tech rally

South Korean stocks opened higher Thursday, led by a sustained tech rally, as the latest earnings results from Alphabet reaffirmed demand for artificial intelligence. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index was up 207.25 points, or 3.05 percent, to 7,004.95 as of 9:35 a.m. Overnight, US stocks closed lower as investors remained cautious ahead of earnings releases from big tech companies and escalating tensions in the Middle East. Google's parent Alphabet reported better-than-expected rev