South Korean stocks opened lower Tuesday ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy meeting, as they keep a wary eye on whether the Fed will give a signal to start the stimulus cut, analysts said.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 5.76 points, or 0.28 percent to 2,042.38 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

Most shares lost ground across the board, led by financial firms and automakers. Shinhan Financial Group shed 0.75 percent and Hyundai Motor, the world's fifth-largest carmaker, dipped more than 2 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,061.35 won against the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.m., down 0.25 won from Monday's close. (Yonhap News)