South Korean stocks opened lower Friday, as investors' sentiment was dented by the rising concerns over the listed firms' first-quarter earnings, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 3.61 points, or 0.18 percent, to 1,947.99 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Carmakers traded bearish, with No. 1 industry player Hyundai Motor falling 0.77 percent and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors losing 0.76 percent. Top auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis shed 1.12 percent.

Tech shares also lost ground, with market behemoth Samsung Electronics losing 0.67 percent and top chipmaker SK hynix decreasing 0.34 percent. Top steelmaker POSCO moved down 1.24 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,108.65 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., up 3.45 won from Thursday's close. (Yonhap News)