South Korean won eases for 3rd day as Iraq unrest weighs, stocks flat

SEOUL: The South Korean won eased against the dollar for a third straight session on Monday, as rising tension in Iraq dented appetite for riskier assets although the downside was contained by demand from exporters.

The currency was quoted at 1,020.1 per dollar at the end of onshore trade, the weakest close since June 5 and down 0.2 percent from Friday's 1,017.8.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) finished up 0.1 percent at 1,993.59 points, after Friday's 1 percent decline, which was the worst daily percentage fall in seven weeks.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics Co Ltd edged up 0.5 percent, and memory-chip maker SK Hynix Inc advanced 2.8 percent.