South Korean stocks opened sharply lower Thursday on tech and auto losses, tracking losses from its US peers amid lingering stimulus uncertainties in the world's largest economy.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 23.28 points, or 0.98 percent, to 2,347.58 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Local stocks got off to a weak start on long-stalled stimulus talks in the United States, one of South Korea's largest trade partners.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.35 percent Wednesday (New York time), with the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite retreating 0.28 percent and the S&P 500 declining 0.22 percent.

In Seoul, most large caps traded lower.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics dipped 1.64 percent, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix dropped 0.6 percent.

Top pharmaceutical firm Samsung Biologics fell 2.33 percent, and Hyundai Motor, the country's largest automaker, declined 2.11 percent.

Internet portal giant Naver declined 2.11 percent, but leading chemical maker LG Chem gained 3.57 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,134.7 won against the US dollar, down 2.8 won from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)