Seoul shares open lower on economic uncertainty

SEOUL, Feb. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks got off to a weak start Friday as
investor sentiment remained fragile amid a deepening economic downturn, analysts
said.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) inched down 4.86 points
or 0.46 percent, to 1,049.94 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Most large-cap shares traded mixed, with retail, tech and machinery shares losing
ground.
Wall Street losses also set an earlier pessimistic tone here. On Thursday, the
Dow Jones industrial average declined 1.22 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq
composite fell 2.38 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,521.25 won to the U.S. dollar as of 9:15
a.m., down 3.75 won from Thursday's close.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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