SEOUL: South Korean stocks opened slightly lower Friday due to losses from carmakers and construction firms, analysts said.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shed 1.7 points, or 0.08 percent, to 2,011.59 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Carmakers opened bearish, with No. 1 Hyundai Motor falling 1.08 percent and its smaller sister, Kia Motors, losing 1.06 percent. Top auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis edged down 0.73 percent.
Builders also opened weak, with Hyundai Engineering & Construction moving down 1.71 percent and Daewoo Engineering & Construction remaining unchanged from the previous session. Daelim Industrial fell 0.58 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,161.60 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., up 4.60 won from Thursday’s close.
