Seoul shares open lower on large-cap exporters

South Korean stocks got off to a weak start Tuesday, weighed down by a fall in key exporters, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 9.93 points, or 0.48 percent, to 2,038.15 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics slipped 0.5 percent, with No. 2 Hyundai Motor retreating nearly 1 percent. Leading cosmetics firm Amore Pacific also lost 1.3 percent.

In contrast, financial firms and mobile carriers gathered ground. Shinhan Financial, a major banking group, rose 0.6 percent, and top mobile carrier SK Telecom added 0.8 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,130.80 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., up 3.0 won from Monday's close. (Yonhap)