Seoul: Shares fall to 3-week low; won slips to near 4-month low

[SEOUL] South Korean shares slid to a three-week low and the won also fell on Tuesday as investors looked to an emergency euro zone summit on Greece later in the day for clues on whether Athens can avert crashing out of the euro single currency.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed down 0.7 per cent at 2,040.29 points after a choppy session. It fell as low as 2,028.98, the weakest since June 17.

Pharmaceutical shares tumbled 13.2 per cent to 8,597.46 points, their biggest daily percentage loss since Sept 12, 2001.

LG Display Co gained 4.1 per cent, rebounding from its lowest level in more than a year.

The won ended local trade down 0.3 per cent to 1,130.2 against the dollar after falling as low as 1,131.7, the lowest since March 17.

REUTERS