Seoul shares fell for a third consecutive session on Thursday, as technology firms such as Samsung Electronics were again hit by heavy foreign selling amid worries about the outlook for global interest rates.
Shares were also hit right before the close by a bout of technical-related selling tied to the simultaneous expiration of stock options, stock index options and stock index futures.
But KT&G Corp rose 1.78 percent to 57,200 won after a US investor group that recently made an unsolicited take-over offer for the country's biggest tobacco firm said on Thursday it would consider raising its initial bid price. Trading volumes were thin, with 274 million shares worth 3.7 trillion won changed hands by 0715 GMT, compared with average daily trading values of 4.3 trillion won in February and 5.8 trillion won in January.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 0.22 percent to end at 1,311.21, the lowest since ending at 1,303.84 on February 15.
Foreign investors were net sellers for a fifth consecutive session, unloading a net 241.7 billion won ($246.2 million) in shares, and bringing their combined sales total during that period to 1.2 trillion won.
However, the Bank of Korea left interest rates unchanged on Thursday, as widely expected, as inflation appeared tame while the economic recovery was still at risk from high oil prices and a volatile currency.
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd fell 1.28 percent to 615,000 won, bringing its loss over the past three sessions to 6.5 percent.
The world's biggest maker of memory chips has lost $6.45 billion in market value over that period.
The March KOSPI 200 futures index edged up 0.10 point to 170.20 before expiring at the end of the session. The June index fell 0.15 point to 169.95.
The underlying KOSPI 200 spot index lost 0.59 point to 169.17.
South Korea's junior and tech heavy Kosdaq market rose 1.29 percent to finish at 665.57.
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