Seoul stocks opened slightly lower on Tuesday, tracking overnight losses in US tech shares. The KOSPI fell 0.34 percent to 9,083.54 at the opening bell.
At 9:15 a.m., the benchmark KOSPI stood at 9,111.38, down 3.17 points or 0.03 percent from the previous close. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 1.3 percent overnight amid concerns over major technology companies.
US Vice President JD Vance said a "very good foundation" had been established for negotiations with Iran, yet reports that Elon Musk's SpaceX is selling bonds to fund artificial intelligence initiatives weighed on sentiment. SpaceX shares tumbled 16.4 percent for a third straight session.
In Seoul, Samsung Electronics declined 0.99 percent and SK Hynix lost 0.45 percent. Hyundai Motor fell 3.1 percent and Samsung Electro-Mechanics dropped 4.02 percent. The Korean won traded at 1,540.4 won to the dollar, up 3.4 won.
