The Korea Herald

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Seoul shares down 1% in late morning trade

By KH디지털2

Published : Dec. 14, 2015 - 13:31

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South Korean stocks tumbled 1.02 percent late Monday morning as a further slump in oil prices dampened investor sentiment here.
  

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 19.91 points to 1,928.71 as of 11:20 a.m.
  

On Friday, benchmark U.S. crude fell more than 3 percent to a fresh seven-year low after the International Energy Agency warned that the supply glut will continue well into next year. The news also sent the Dow Jones industrial average skidding 1.76 percent and the Nasdaq tumbling 2.21 percent.  
  

Market heavyweights remained in negative terrain, with tech firms and chemicals hit harder.
  

Top cap Samsung Electronics sank nearly 1.5 percent and top chipmaker SK Hynix retreated 2.85 percent. Amore Pacific, the No. 1 cosmetics maker, declined 2.36 percent, and the country's No. 3 refiner S-Oil shed 3.21 percent.
  

Auto shares, however, capped the fall after announcing a rosy sales target for next year. Top carmaker Hyundai Motor Co. surged 2.02 percent, and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors Corp. jumped 2.49 percent.
  

The local currency was changing hands at 1,185.6 won against the greenback as of 11:20 a.m., down 6.1 won from Friday's close. (Yonhap)