Seoul: Stocks tumble to end at near 4 week low, won at 2 week low

[SEOUL] South Korean shares fell for the fifth straight session on Wednesday, ending at a near four-week low as market sentiment remained subdued on persistent North Korea fears, prompting foreign investors to offload stocks in large volumes.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) closed down 0.3 per cent at 2,319.82 points, the lowest closing level since Aug 11.

Offshore investors sold a net 329.9 billion won (S$395.25 million) worth of Kospi shares.

The South Korean won was also pressured by the heavy foreign sell-off, extending losses to finish at more than a two-week low.

The won was quoted at 1,135.4 to the US dollar at the conclusion of onshore trade, its lowest closing level since Aug 21, and off 0.4 per cent from Tuesday's close.

REUTERS