An electronic board showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index at a dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on Friday. (Yonhap)
An electronic board showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index at a dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on Friday. (Yonhap)

South Korean stocks started sharply lower Friday in line with steep overnight Wall Street losses triggered by US President Donald Trump's tariff measure.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 30.06 points, or 1.21 percent, to 2,456.64 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Overnight, Wall Street shares plunged as concerns of higher inflation and an economic downturn spread widely following Trump's tariff scheme announcement targeting America's trading partners.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 3.98 percent, and the Nasdaq composite tumbled 5.97 percent. The S&P 500 also shed 4.84 percent.

The South Korean Constitutional Court is scheduled to deliver a ruling at 11 a.m. on whether to dismiss or reinstate President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law.

In Seoul, major stocks opened in negative territory.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics fell 1.91 percent and its chipmaking rival SK hynix slumped 4.11 percent.

Top carmaker Hyundai Motor sank 0.57 percent, and shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean dropped 2.23 percent.

In contrast, leading battery maker LG Energy Solution and top steelmaker Posco Holdings gained 0.48 percent and 0.55 percent, respectively.

The local currency was trading at 1,451.35 won against the US dollar at 9:15 a.m., up sharply by 15.65 won from the previous session. (Yonhap)