South Korean stocks got off to a weak start on Wednesday as major tech firms suffered losses, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 7.18 points, or 0.36 percent, to 1,997.78 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Tech blue chips led the decline, with Samsung Electronics falling 0.76 percent and its smaller rival LG Electronics declining 0.52 percent following a lawsuit in the U.S. for alleged price rigging.

The local currency was changing at 1,118 won to the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 0.30 won from Tuesday's close. (Yonhap News)