Seoul shares opened lower Monday, as losses in technology stocks weighed on the market amid inflation concerns stoked by elevated oil prices and the escalating Middle East crisis.
After opening 0.72 percent lower, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 83.72 points, or 1.26 percent, to 6,542.21 as of 9:15 a.m.
The decline came despite overnight gains on Wall Street.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.83 percent on Friday, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.64 percent.
Oil prices advanced as tensions in the Middle East escalated following renewed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's main airport over the weekend.
A broader conflict in the region could further disrupt energy supplies, stoking inflation and increasing pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates.
In Seoul, tech stocks led the decline.
Market behemoth Samsung Electronics fell 0.95 percent, and its chipmaking rival SK hynix declined 2.71 percent.
Defense giant Hanwha Aerospace dropped 2.13 percent, and leading shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries plunged 4.04 percent.
Among gainers, top carmaker Hyundai Motor rose 1.46 percent and shipping firm HMM declined 3.49 percent.
The Korean won was trading at 1,338.65 won against the US dollar, up 3.35 won from the close of the previous stock trading session. (Yonhap)