South Korean stocks started nearly unchanged Wednesday amid protracted U.S. debt-ceiling negotiations.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 0.11 point to 2,480.13 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 1.01 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite declined 0.18 percent as investors awaited developments in the negotiations on debt deals.
In Seoul, big caps traded in mixed territories.
Top carmaker Hyundai Motor rose 0.74 percent and its auto parts affiliate Hyundai Mobis went up 0.91 percent.
LG Display soared 4.47 percent on the latest news report that it will supply OLED TV panels to Samsung Electronics, which fell 0.31 percent.
Leading retailer Lotte Shopping fell 0.98 percent, and Shinsegae dropped 0.25 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,341.45 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 2.85 won from Tuesday’s close.
Source: Yonhap News Agency