Seoul stocks trade lower late Tuesday morning
SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks traded lower late Tuesday morning due to weaker-than-expected data from the U.S. and worries over a delay in a trade deal between the United States and China.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 15.25 points, or 0.73 percent, to 2,076.67 as of 11:20 a.m.
The U.S. ISM index, a major gauge of manufacturing activity, fell shy of expectations in November at 48.1, amid yearlong trade tensions between Washington and Beijing.
In Seoul, market heavyweights suffered a decline.
Market kingpin Samsung Electronics moved down 0.99 percent and LG Electronics fell 0.14 percent. No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix plunged 1.99 percent.
Top steelmaker POSCO decreased 0.43 percent and Korea Zinc lost 1.59 percent.
Construction companies also traded lower, with Hyundai Engineering & Construction moving down 0.98 percent and Daelim Industrial falling 2.14 percent. GS Engineering & Construction decreased 0.84 percent.
The Korean won was trading at 1,186.75 won per dollar, down 3.65 won from the previous session's close.
colin@yna.co.kr
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