Seoul shares fell on Thursday, weighed down by the persistent uncertainty surrounding the euro zone's debt problems and sharp drops in LG-related stocks such as LG Electronics, which was hit by rumours of a rights issue. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) ended down 1.48 percent at 1,869.96 points.
Foreign investors sold a net 43 billion won ($38.3 million) worth of stocks, offloading shares for a second straight session. LG Electronics ended down 13.7 percent, posting its biggest daily percentage loss in more than 3 years, hit by market talk the company was planning a $890 million share sale to support its ailing smartphone business and unprofitable flat-screen unit. Shares in LG Display, in which LG Electronics is the top shareholder with an around 38 percent stake, finished down 6.3 percent, and the parent LG Corp lost 9.9 percent. The KOSPI 200 index ended down 1.6 percent at 244.09 points and the junior Kosdaq market fell 1.1 percent to 487.91 points.