HONG KONG

Hong Kong share prices opened up 0.4 percent on the first trading day of the year Friday, led by China's telecom firms on hopes Beijing will soon issue them 3G mobile phone licenses, dealers said.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index was up 60.74 points to 14,448.22.

Seoul shares opened higher on their first trading day of 2009 on Friday, after a string of losses in the last week of December and helped also by a firm finish on Wall Street on Wednesday, but a weaker won sent banks lower.

KB Financial Group , the holding firm of Kookmin Bank, the country's largest commercial lender, was down 2.08 percent.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index was up 0.41 percent at 1,129.12 points as of 0103 GMT.

KUALA LUMPUR

The KLCI was up 5.55 points at 882.30, with 84 gainers, 42 losers and 53 counters traded unchanged on the Bursa Malaysia.

TAIWAN & MANILA

Taiwan & Philippine financial markets are closed on Friday for a public holiday. Markets re-open on Monday, January 5.