Seoul stocks opened lower on Friday amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran. The benchmark KOSPI fell 191.3 points, or 2.7 percent, to 6,905.59.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 191.3 points, or 2.7 percent, to 6,905.59 as of 9:15 a.m. Samsung Electronics shares dropped 3.15 percent, SK hynix fell 3.86 percent, and Hyundai Motor declined 5.21 percent.
Wall Street also slipped overnight. The S&P 500 fell 1.21 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq dipped 2.15 percent. U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview he is considering a massive attack against Iran on a scale larger than strikes witnessed earlier.
Yemen Houthi fighters' claim they attacked ships in the Red Sea further escalated the situation, pushing Brent crude futures above US$100 per barrel. The Korean won traded at 1,472 won against the U.S. dollar, up 2.2 won from the previous session.
