Seoul shares open lower on growth concerns

South Korean stocks got off to a weak start Friday following fresh concerns over the global economic slowdown, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 20.91 points, or 1.08 percent, to 1,921.63 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Large-cap exporters led the decline, with market bellwether Samsung Electronics slumping 1.17 percent and leading automaker Hyundai Motor falling 1.83 percent.

U.S. stocks closed lower on Thursday, as poor industry data from China and Europe raised concerns about a slowdown in major economies. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished down 0.88 percent and the Nasdaq Composite Index fell 0.66 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,133.8 won to the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 3.1 won from Thursday's close. (Yonhap News)