(Updates to midday)
SEOUL, May 20 (Reuters) - The South Korean won KRW= turned
slightly lower against the dollar on Wednesday in choppy trade as
importers such as refiners bought the U.S. currency for
settlements.
The won was quoted at 1,252.4/3.1 per dollar as of 0310 GMT,
compared with Tuesday's domestic close KRW=KFTC of 1,249.5. It
strengthened to as firm as 1,244.9.
"The won came under pressure from importer deals and as banks
built up dollar-long positions," said a foreign bank dealer.
Seoul shares rose 0.30 percent as foreign investors
bought a net 276.1 billion won worth of stocks on the main
exchange.
On Tuesday, Finance Minister Yoon Jeung-hyun shrugged off
worries that the won had been appreciating too fast, indicating
that he had no plans to intervene. [ID:nSEO81618]
0310 GMT 0010 GMT prev close
Won KRW= 1,252.4/3.1 1,247.6/8.2 1,249.5
Yen/won JPYKRW=R 13.0902/68 12.9984/01 12.9500/13
KOSPI 1,432.43 1,429.79 1,428.21
(Reporting by Cheon Jong-woo and Lee Soo-jung; Editing by Chris
Lewis)
