South Korean stocks opened lower Thursday, as renewed worries about a slowdown in the United States sapped investor appetite here, analysts said.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 13.96 points, or 0.68 percent to 2,028.85 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Shares fell across the board, with large-cap exporters leading the decline. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics retreated 2.8 percent, with chip giant SK hynix tumbling more than 3.5 percent.

Financial stocks, in contrast, gathered ground. Top lender Shinhan Financial Group was up 0.7 percent and No.1 life insurer Samsung Life Insurance rose 0.7 percent.  

Orders for durable goods in the world's biggest economy dropped unexpectedly last month, raising concerns over manufacturers amid a strong dollar.

The local currency was trading at 1,102.20 won against the dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 1.4 won from Wednesday's close. (Yonhap)