South Korea: Stocks skid 1.5% on foreign investor selling

[SEOUL] South Korean shares slid 1.5 per cent on Friday as foreign investors sold local equities amid persistent worries about Hong Kong unrest and uncertainty over the prospects of a US-China trade deal.

Hong Kong braced for a fresh round of protests over the weekend as police said they would withdraw from a university on Friday that has been the site of some of the worst clashes between protesters and security forces in nearly six months of unrest.

The Seoul stock market's main KOSPI ended down 30.63 points, or 1.45 per cent, at 2,087.96, its lowest close in a month.

The benchmark index fell 0.67 per cent from a week ago, while it was little changed from a month ago.

Foreigners were net sellers of US$382.34 million worth of shares on the main board.

The KOSPI has risen 2.30 per cent this year and gained 2 per cent in the previous 30 trading sessions.

REUTERS