South Korean stocks opened lower Friday, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street, as investors moved to lock in profits from recent sharp gains on quicker-than-expected US inflation and high bond yields.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 14.41 points, or 0.58 percent, to 2,465.41 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Overnight, US shares finished lower after the consumer price index rose at a quicker than expected rate of 3.7 percent on-year in September, which raised speculation that the Fed will deliver another rate increase this year. Bond yields also jumped.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.51 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite lost 0.63 percent.

On the Seoul bourse, most top-cap shares opened lower.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics fell 0.73 percent on profit taking and chip giant SK hynix retreated 0.89 percent.

Leading battery maker LG Energy Solution tumbled 1.42 percent, and Samsung SDI inched down 0.19 percent.

But LG Chem grew 0.19 percent, and Posco Holdings rose 0.19 percent.

Carmakers opened mixed, with top automaker Hyundai Motor skidding 0.11 percent while Kia went up 0.12 percent.

Major biotech firm Samsung Biologics shed 0.82 percent, and internet platform giant Naver lost 0.26 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,349.10 won against the US dollar at 9:15 a.m., down 10.6 won from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)