South Korean stocks fall, won slides to 6-week lows


FE Team | Published: February 02, 2018 13:35:25 | Updated: February 03, 2018 11:06:49


File Photo (Reuters)

South Korean stocks fell to two-week lows on Friday, while the Korean won skidded to its lowest in six weeks. Bond yields rose.

Both the benchmark index and the currency were hammered by heavy foreign selling, especially in the tech sector.

The sub-index for electric and electronics shares tumbled 3.9 per cent with market heavyweight Samsung Electronics skidding 4.3 per cent.

At 06:30 GMT, the KOSPI was down 43.15 points or 1.68 per cent at 2,525.39. The index fell 1.9 per cent for the week, its biggest weekly percentage loss since early December, reports Reuters.

The won was quoted at 1,079.7 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.72 per cent weaker than its previous close at 1,071.9.

The US dollar has risen 1.22 per cent against the won this year.

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