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

South Korean stocks started a tad lower Tuesday as investors awaited the US Federal Reserve's rate-setting decision.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 15.16 points, or 0.36 percent, to 4,139.69 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

On Wall Street on Monday, US stocks closed in negative territory ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting slated for Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.45 percent, and the Nasdaq composite lost 0.14 percent.

In Seoul, major shares started bearish.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics dropped 0.55 percent, and its chipmaking rival SK hynix declined 1.3 percent.

Top carmaker Hyundai Motor retreated 3.33 percent, and leading battery maker LG Energy Solution decreased 0.55 percent.

Defense giant Hanwha Aerospace, however, rose 0.75 percent, and Samyang Foods, best known for the Buldak spicy ramyeon series, added 0.85 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,469.4 won against the greenback as of 9:15 a.m., down 1.7 won from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)