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Seoul shares turn higher after weak start

Dec. 20, 2013 - 09:38 By 윤민식
South Korean stocks turned higher Friday after a weak start as investors stayed on the sidelines amid growing concerns about the yen's descent, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 1.62 points, or 0.08 percent, to 1,977.27 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The KOSPI began 0.13 percent lower at the opening bell.

Market behemoth Samsung Electronics lost 0.35 percent, while Hyundai Motor gained 0.5 percent following a steep fall in the previous session, weighed down by the yen's weakness.

The local currency was trading at 1,063.15 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 3.05 won from Thursday's close. (Yonhap News)