Seoul stocks opened slightly higher Tuesday but quickly turned lower amid lingering concerns over escalating tensions in the Middle East.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index opened 0.58 percent higher at 6,553.88 but trimmed gains to fall 38.56 points, or 0.59 percent, to 6,477.71 as of 9:15 a.m.
Concerns over renewed hostilities in the Middle East weighed on sentiment. Major U.S. indexes closed lower overnight. U.S. President Donald Trump vowed that Iran "will pay" for killing three American soldiers in recent days.
Samsung Electronics gained 2.25 percent while Hyundai Motor declined 3.26 percent. The Korean won traded at 1,475.7 won against the dollar, up 2.2 won from the previous session.
