South Korean stocks got off to a weak start Friday as investors avoided risky bets pending the outcome of a European summit aimed at addressing the region's fiscal crisis, analysts said.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 9.37 points, or 0.52 percent, to 1,809.81 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Tech blue-chips and chemical issues led the decline, with market bellwether Samsung Electronics falling 0.6 percent and LG Chem slumping more than 2 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,156.35 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 2.05 won from Thursday's close. (Yonhap News)