Seoul: Shares, won fall on slumping oil, soft China trade data

[SEOUL] South Korean shares lost ground on Tuesday, as soft China trade data and falling oil prices dampened investors' risk appetite, resulting in further selling by foreigners.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) ended down 0.8 per cent to 1,949.04 points, its lowest closing level since Nov. 16.

Foreigners were net sellers for a fifth consecutive session, offloading a net 189.8 billion won (S$227 million) of shares in the main board on the day, preliminary data showed.

The South Korean won closed local trade down 0.9 per cent to 1,178.6 on the dollar, falling for a second straight session.

REUTERS