South Korea's main stock index fell below the psychologically significant one-thousand-900 threshold on Friday, amid global uncertainties caused by China's market meltdown, coupled with heightened inter-Korean tension following the North's fourth nuclear test. 

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index(KOSPI) began the day's trading at one-thousand-889-point-42 points, 14-point-91 points or zero-point-78 percent lower than Thursday’s close.

Foreign investors and retail investors are selling stocks, while institutional investors are buying.

As of 9:37 a.m., the index reading stands at one-thousand-888-point-58, down 15-point-75 points or zero-point-83 percent from the previous day's closing.