Seoul stocks down 0.62 pct late morning

SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks traded 0.62 percent lower late
Monday morning as a U.S. plan to tighten bank regulations dented investor
sentiment, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) dropped 10.41 points to
trade at 1,673.94 as of 11:20 a.m.
Banking shares, including Woori Finance Holdings, were the biggest losers as U.S.
President Barack Obama's Thursday proposal to rein in banks' risky trading was
feared to impact lenders' profits.
Memory-chip giant Samsung Electronics, however, traded nearly up 2 percent ahead
of Friday's release of its better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings.
The local currency was trading at 1,146.25 won to the U.S. dollar as of 11:20
a.m., up 4.75 won from Friday's close.
pbr@yna.co.kr
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