Seoul: Won firms as North Korea tensions appear to ease, stocks fall

[SEOUL] The South Korean won edged up on Wednesday as worries over North Korea eased after US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis vowed to work with China to calm tensions on the peninsula.

The won was quoted at 1,140.2 to the US dollar at the conclusion of onshore trade, up 0.2 per cent compared to Tuesday's close of 1,142.4.

South Korean shares weakened in line with falls in global stock markets, with selling by foreign investors adding to the pressure.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) closed down 0.5 per cent at 2,138.40 points.

Foreign investors dumped a net 236.6 billion won (S$289.3 million) worth of Kospi shares for the day.

REUTERS