Seoul shares open lower on blue chip losses

SEOUL, July 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks got off to a weak start on Monday due mainly to sharp losses in blue-chip exporters, analysts said.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 18.5 points, or 0.85 percent, to 2,161.85 in the first 15 minutes of trading.
Major exporters led the decline, with market bellwether Samsung Electronics and top automaker Hyundai Motor both falling nearly 2 percent.
SK Telecom, the country's leading mobile carrier, slumped more than 3 percent following its Friday bid to buy a stake in Hynix Semiconductor, the world's No. 2 chipmaker.
The local currency was trading at 1,059.85 won to the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 2.85 won from Friday's close.
mil@yna.co.kr