South Korean stocks ended 0.27 percent lower Wednesday as investor sentiment turned sour on concerns over turmoil in Ukraine amid profit-taking from recent gains, analysts said. The South Korean won lost ground against the U.S. dollar.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 5.53 points to 2,060.73. Trading volume was moderate at 363.1 million shares worth 5.06 trillion won ($4.89 billion), with decliners beating gainers 463 to 346.

“External factors weighed on investor sentiment. Investors also seemed to have taken a breather following the KOSPI’s rapid surge,” said Park Sung-hoon, an analyst at Woori Investment & Securities Co.

Park, however, forecast policy momentum will stay alive as the government unveils stimulus measures and views are growing that the central bank may cut the base rate next week.

Earlier in the day, the finance ministry unveiled a set of tax code revisions, including a plan to lower tax rates on dividend income, to induce money flows from companies to investors and small shareholders.

The Bank of Korea’s monetary policy committee is scheduled to hold its monthly rate-setting meeting on Aug. 14 after keeping the base rate at 2.5 percent for the 14th straight month.

Techs were mixed. Samsung Electronics fell 1.22 percent to 1,300,000 won and SK Hynix sank 4.02 percent to 45,400 won.

In contrast, LG Electronics rose 3.94 percent to 79,200 won and its affiliate LG Display added 1.18 percent to 34,400 won.

Autos ended in the red with market leader Hyundai Motor ending down 1.27 percent at 233,000 won.

Cosmetics giant Amore Pacific jumped 3.76 percent to 1,851,000 won on hopes its growing revenue in China will boost the company’s bottom line.

Cuckoo Electronics, the country’s biggest rice cooker maker, surged by the daily limit of 15 percent to 207,000 won, finishing its first day of trading on an upbeat note.

The local currency ended at 1,033.7 won against the U.S. dollar, down 5.5 won from Tuesday’s close.

Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, ended lower. The yield on three-year Treasuries rose 1.7 basis point to 2.535 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds gained 1.1 basis point to 2.768 percent. (Yonhap)