Seoul shares opened lower Wednesday, bucking overnight US gains and easing concerns over lower oil prices and bond yields.
After opening 1.11 percent lower, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index narrowed losses to trade down 18.8 points, or 0.27 percent, to 6,922.59 as of 9:15 a.m.
Global oil prices fell, and bond yields declined from their multidecade highs.
Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.49 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained 0.45 percent to reach a record high.
In Seoul, large-cap stocks were mixed.
Chip giant SK hynix dropped 1.02 percent, and home appliance maker LG Electronics declined 2.37 percent.
Top carmaker Hyundai Motor dropped 1.44 percent, and steelmaker POSCO Holdings shed 2.83 percent.
Among gainers, market bellwether Samsung Electronics rose 2.21 percent, and cosmetics firm Amorepacific climbed 4.2 percent.
The Korean won was trading at 1,340.05 won against the US dollar, down 1.95 won from the close of the previous stock trading session. (Yonhap)
