Seoul: South Korean stocks opened sharply lower Thursday, reflecting tech giants' tumble on Wall Street caused by continued woes over their high valuation. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shed 72.71 points, or 1.35 percent, to 5,298.39 in the first 15 minutes of trading, dropping from an all-time high of over 5,300 points reached the previous day.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite dipped 1.51 percent and the S and P 500 lost 0.51 percent as U.S. investors increased their selling of blue-chip tech shares, such as the Magnificent Seven companies, amid valuation concerns. In Seoul, large cap shares showed mixed results.

Semiconductor heavyweights Samsung Electronics and SK hynix declined by 3.08 percent and 3.78 percent, respectively, directly impacted by the U.S. tech downturn. Defense giant Hanwha Aerospace slid 3.63 percent, and AI investment firm SK Square dipped 3.87 percent. Power plant manufacturer Doosan Enerbility lost 1.76 percent, and major shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy decreased by 1.03 percent.

Conversely, leading battery maker LG Energy Solution saw a rise of 1.24 percent. Automakers also showed positive movement, with Hyundai Motor up 0.79 percent and Kia adding 2.36 percent.

The Korean won was trading at 1,461.8 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 11.6 won from the previous session's close.