South Korean stocks traded 0.45 percent lower late Tuesday morning amid the prolonged concerns over the extended United States government shutdown, analysts said.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) moved down 9.04 points to 1,985.38 as of 11:20 a.m.
Tech shares traded lower, with market behemoth Samsung Electronics falling 0.77 percent and top chipmaker SK hynix decreasing 0.76 percent. Local handset maker LG Electronics shed 1.61 percent.
Builders also traded bearish, with Daewoo Engineering & Construction decreasing 1.89 percent and Daelim Industrial moving down 1.13 percent. GS Engineering & Construction declined 1.36 percent.
The local currency was changing hands at 1,073.75 won against the greenback as of 11:20 a.m., down 2.25 won from Monday's close. (Yonhap News)
