An electronic board showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index at a dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap)
An electronic board showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index at a dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap)

South Korean stocks opened sharply lower Monday ahead of the looming US imposition of reciprocal tariffs.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 63.81 points, or 2.49 percent, to 2,494.17 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

US President Donald Trump said he will announce a set of reciprocal tariffs Wednesday, targeting nations that charge fees on US exports, promising to match those countries' duties.

In Seoul, most shares started in negative territory.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics dropped 2.16 percent, and its chipmaking rival SK hynix decreased 2.86 percent.

Top carmaker Hyundai Motor lost 2.2 percent, and leading battery maker tumbled 4.92 percent.

Steel giant Posco Holdings sank 4.28 percent, and biotech firm Samsung Biologics retreated 3.05 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,471.45 won against the US dollar at 9:15 a.m., down 4.55 won from the previous session. (Yonhap)