SEOUL– South Korean stocks traded 1.02 percent lower late Monday morning, dampened by the decline in tech and logistics stocks.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) had retreated 24.87 points to 2,412.99 as of 11:20 a.m.
Tech giant Samsung Electronics slid about 1.8 percent, and Hyundai Glovis, the logistics arm of Hyundai Motor, fell more than 2 percent.
Construction firms, including industry leader Hyundai Engineering & Construction, also traded in the red, amid a strike by truck drivers that has disrupted cement, steel and other supplies.
In contrast, chemical companies gained ground. POSCO Chemical and LG Chem rose about 0.6 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively.
The local currency was changing hands at 1,338.40 won against the greenback as of 11:20 a.m., down 14.7 won from Friday’s close.
Source: Yonhap News Agency