South Korean stocks started slightly lower Thursday amid escalating oil price fluctuations sparked by the lingering US-Iran conflict and shipping disruptions at the key waterway in the Middle East.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 42.3 points, or 0.75 percent, to 5,567.65 at the opening bell. The index edged up 1.4 percent Wednesday.
Overnight, investors sat on the sidelines on Wall Street despite major countries' decisions to release reserve oil amid concerns tensions at the Strait of Hormuz may last longer.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 0.61 percent, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite edged up 0.08 percent, while the S&P 500 lost 0.08 percent. (Yonhap)
