South Korean shares fell on Friday but were set for a weekly gain on rising bets of a US Federal Reserve interest rate cut next month.
The won weakened, while the benchmark bond yield rose.
The benchmark KOSPI was down 36.37 points, or 0.91%, at 3,950.54, as of 0151 GMT. It has risen about 2.5% so far this week.
Among index heavyweights, chipmaker Samsung Electronics fell 1.74% on Friday, while peer SK Hynix lost 0.74%. Battery maker LG Energy Solution slid 5.88%.
Hyundai Motor and sister automaker Kia Corp were up 0.19% and up 0.18%, respectively. Steelmaker POSCO Holdings shed 1.76%, while drugmaker Samsung BioLogics fell 1.70%.
Global stocks rose on Thursday, while expectations for a Fed rate cut next month kept the dollar a touch softer against most currencies although the yen remained on intervention watch as traders weighed the prospect of a rate hike before year-end.
The US markets were closed for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday and will only have a short session on Friday.
Of the total 926 traded issues, 586 shares advanced, while 296 declined.
Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 750.9 billion won.
The won was quoted at 1,465.9 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.22% lower than its previous close at 1,462.7.
In offshore trading, the won was quoted at 1,465.9 per dollar, down 0.3% on the day, while in non-deliverable forward trading its one-month contract was quoted at 1,463.0.
The KOSPI has risen 64.64% so far this year.
In money and debt markets, December futures on three-year treasury bonds lost 0.09 point to 105.36.
The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield rose by 4.4 basis points to 3.064%, while the benchmark 10-year yield rose by 2.0 basis points to 3.380%.‑Reuters
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