South Korean stocks got off to a weak start Wednesday, as low demand on Spanish bonds last night sapped hopes for a smooth bailout of the debt-mired region, analysts said.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) slipped 14.31 points, or 0.79 percent to 1,803.50 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Shares fell across the board, with market behemoth Samsung Electronics dipping 0.53 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,157.05 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., up 1.35 won from Tuesday's close. (Yonhap News)