SEOUL, South Korean stocks extended losses late Tuesday morning amid the growing tension in the Middle East after Israel warned of retaliation against Iran’s recent drone and missile attack.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index had dropped 66.14 points, or 2.48 percent, to 2,604.29 as of 11:20 a.m.
Tech firms continued to trade lower, with Samsung Electronics falling 3.16 percent and SK hynix plunging 5.05 percent.
Battery maker LG Energy Solution moved down 1.34 percent, and Samsung SDI shed 1.9 percent.
Financial firms also lost ground, with KB Financial decreasing 2.57 percent and Shinhan Financial falling 2.49 percent.
Leading oil refiner SK Innovation slipped 1.23 percent, and S-Oil decreased 2.38 percent.
The local currency was trading at 1,399.2 won against the dollar, down 7.4 won from the previous session’s close.
Source: Yonhap News Agency