Seoul shares dipped on Friday, underperforming Asian peers as the market nervously awaited a critical weekend election in Greece, while a 3.5 percent decline in index heavyweight Samsung Electronics added to the pressure.
The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 0.71 percent to close at 1,858.16 points, but still managed to log a fourth-straight weekly gain, up 1.2 percent for the week.
"Despite movements being shown by global central banks to prevent a financial domino effect in the case of a worst-case Greek exit scenario, investors are finding it hard to shake off last-minute jitters ahead of the big event," said Kim Byung-yun, an analyst at Woori Investment & Securities.
Investors are on edge ahead of a key Greek election which could result in the country's chaotic exit from the euro zone.
The main index was dragged lower by Samsung Electronics, which accounts for 17 percent of the KOSPI's total market capitalisation, slumping 3.5 percent on Friday.
Samsung's fall dragged on the KOSPI 200 benchmark of core stocks, which fell 0.82 percent to outpace declines on the main board. Analysts said that the broader market also faced pressure of corrections after a late surge on Thursday resulting from investors shifting into the spot market after options expired.
SK Hynix fell 2.1 percent after the IFR reported that Woori Bank was selling a 1.4 percent stake in the world's second-largest memory chipmaker for $202 million. Battered crude oil refiners bucked the trend, lifted by bargain-hunting. SK Innovation climbed 3.1 percent while S-Oil rose 2.2 percent.
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