South Korean stocks opened lower Friday, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street amid rising Sino-American tensions over China's passing of a new national security law on Hong Kong.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) retreated 10.80 points, or 0.53 percent, to 2,017.74 in the first 15 minutes of trading.

The fall was largely attributed to the latest development in the Sino-American dispute on China's passing of the new national security law that could severely restrict civil liberties in Hong Kong.

US President Donald Trump said the United States is also set to reveal new policies on China's move.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 147.63 points, or 0.58 percent, to close at 25,400.64 on Thursday (New York time).

In Seoul, most large caps traded mixed.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics lost 1.19 percent, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix slipped 2.38 percent.

Top pharmaceutical firm Samsung BioLogics jumped 2.29 percent, with leading chemical maker LG Chem advancing 0.26 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,238.95 won against the US dollar, up 0.65 won from the previous session's close. (Yonhap)