The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index(KOSPI) closed lower on Monday on selling by foreigners and institutions.

The main index dropped 14-point-08 points, or zero-point-68 percent, to close at two-thousand-42-point-16. 

Shares of Samsung Electronics surpassed one-point-69 million won at one point during the session and set a fresh new high, but closed at one-million-665-thousand won, slightly lower than Friday's close.

The tech-heavy KOSDAQ also slipped eight-point-05 points, or one-point-16 percent, to close at 688-point-15.

On the Seoul foreign exchange market, the local currency closed at one-thousand-126-point-5 won against the U.S. greenback, down nine-point-nine won from the previous session's close.