Seoul shares open lower on exporter falls

South Korean stocks got off to a weak start on Monday due mainly to falls in shares of key exporters, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell

11.45 points, or 0.57 percent, to 1,994.56 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Major blue chips lost ground, with market bellwether Samsung Electronics slipping 0.6 percent and top automaker Hyundai Motor falling 2.11 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,097.3 won to the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 7 won from Friday's close. (Yonhap News)