Seoul shares open lower on exporters' losses

South Korean stocks started lower Friday due to exporters' losses caused by the Japanese yen's sharp drop against the U.S. dollar, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 4.56 points, or 0.23 percent, to 1,959.92 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Hyundai Motor tumbled 3.61 percent after its announcement of last year's stellar performances on Thursday. Samsung Electronics also dipped 0.07 percent despite its record-high fourth-quarter earnings.

The local currency was trading at 1,070.15 won against the U.S. dollar, down 1.45 won from Thursday's close. (Yonhap News)