Seoul: Won ends near 1-week low on strong dollar; stocks steady

[SEOUL] The South Korean won fell to its weakest level in nearly one week on Monday as the US dollar stayed strong after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen suggested that an interest rate hike could be around the corner.

The won was quoted at 1,191.8 per dollar at the conclusion of onshore trade, down 1.1 per cent from Friday's close of 1,179.3.

South Korean shares were little changed amid foreign investors' continued buying.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) closed down 0.1 per cent at 1,967.13.

Offshore investors bought a net 121.9 billion won (S$141.3 million) worth of Kospi shares.

REUTERS