Seoul: South Korean stocks opened lower Friday amid legal uncertainties surrounding the United States' sweeping tariff scheme. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 11.32 points, or 0.42 percent, to 2,709.32 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
According to Yonhap News Agency, investors moved to lock in profits following recent sharp gains, as concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump's administration's tariff policy have mounted. This comes after a U.S. federal appeals court temporarily reinstated the tariffs Thursday (U.S. time), just one day after a lower court had blocked them.
Top-cap shares opened mixed. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics added 0.36 percent, while chip giant SK hynix sank 1.42 percent. Leading battery maker LG Energy Solution shed 0.69 percent, while No. 1 steelmaker POSCO Holdings edged up 0.2 percent.
Defense giant Hanwha Aerospace retreated 2.8 percent, while leading financial firm KB Financial advanced 0.97 percent. Carmakers lost ground as top automaker Hyundai Motor sank 2.57 percent, and its sister affiliate Kia dipped 3.11 percent. However, major bio firm Samsung Biologics added 0.19 percent, and Celltrion rose 0.44 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,370.7 won against the greenback at 9:15 a.m., up 5.2 won from the previous session.