Seoul stocks open lower on retail losses

SEOUL, Feb. 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks started lower Tuesday as retail
shares lost ground amid heavy institutional selling, analysts said.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) dropped 3.07 points, or
0.27 percent, to 1,143.88 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Most big-name retailers traded down amid a deepening economic slowdown, but tech
shares, tracking U.S. gains, helped prevent a steep key index fall.
Wall Street closed mixed with tech shares leading the way. The Dow Jones
industrial average fell 0.80 percent but the Nasdaq added 1.22 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,394.3 won to the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m.,
down 4.3 won from Monday's close.
pbr@yna.co.kr
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