SEOUL: South Korean stocks got off to a weak start on Thursday as investors were wary of a potential rate hike by the U.S. central bank next week.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shed 14.01 points, or 0.72 percent, to 1,920.19 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Tech shares went south. Top tech firm Samsung Electronics sank 1.22 percent and LG Display, one of the key suppliers for the iPhone, fell 1.38 percent following the release of new products by Apple Inc.
POSCO, the leading steelmaker, lost 1.38 percent and Korea Zinc, the largest zinc smelter, slipped 0.91 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,197.8 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 8.4 won from Wednesday’s close.
