South Korean stocks opened lower Friday, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street sparked by uncertainties from swings in the US administration's tariff policies.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 21.62 points, or 0.84 percent, to 2,554.54 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Overnight, major US shares sank as investor sentiment soured after the Donald Trump administration went back and forth on its plan to impose tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports, increasing uncertainties in the global economy.
The S&P 500 dipped 1.78 percent, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.99 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq slid 2.61 percent.
After imposing 25 percent tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods on Tuesday, Washington announced a decision the next day to offer a one-month exemption of duties on vehicles coming into the country through the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
On Thursday, the US administration announced a delay of tariffs on a broader range of Mexican and Canadian goods covered under the USMCA, until early next month.
In Seoul, most big-cap shares started in negative terrain.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics lost 0.92 percent, and its chipmaking rival SK hynix dropped 1.87 percent.
Bio giant Samsung Biologics pulled back 1.33 percent, and top automaker Hyundai Motor slipped 0.89 percent.
Leading internet portal operator Naver fell 1.83 percent, and Kakao, the operator of the country's dominant mobile messenger, plunged 2.66 percent.
Meritz Financial shot down 3.14 percent.
Steel giant Posco Holdings gained 1.86 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,446.5 won against the US dollar at 9:15 a.m., down 4.1 won from the previous session. (Yonhap)
herald@heraldcorp.com
