South Korean stocks traded 0.36 percent lower late Monday morning, led by bearish builders and telecoms, analysts said.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) moved down 7.43 points to 2,031.99 as of 11:20 a.m.
Builders continued to lose ground, with Hyundai Engineering & Construction falling 0.33 percent and Daewoo Engineering & Construction losing 2.14 percent. Daelim Industrial edged down 0.1 percent.
Mobile carriers also traded lower, with leading SK Telecom falling 1.5 percent and No. 2 player KT losing 1.56 percent. LG Uplus, the smallest player, shed 2.5 percent.
The local currency was changing hands at 1,061.95 won against the greenback as of 11:20 a.m., down 1.25 won from Friday's close. (Yonhap News)
