S . Korean shares down on foreign selling SEOUL , Feb . 27 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korean shares traded lower on Monday morning , paring earlier gains , as foreigners offloaded local shares . The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index ( KOSPI ) lost 2 . 93 points , or 0 . 14 percent , to 2 , 091 . 19 as of 11 : 20 a . m . The broad index had started slightly higher , but soon turned negative , weighed by a massive selling spree by foreign investors . Most large caps traded mixed with market kingpin Samsung Electronics losing 0 . 42 percent and SK hynix , a major chipmaker , shedding 2 . 42 percent . The state - run Korea Electric Power , meanwhile , gained 1 . 38 percent and major steelmaker POSCO climbed 1 . 79 percent . The local currency was trading at 1 , 131 . 50 won against the U . S . dollar , unchanged from the previous session ' s close . khj @ yna . co . kr ( END )