Korea Hot Stocks-Hyundai E&C down, STX gains

SEOUL, March 27 (Reuters) - Stocks on the move on Thursday include:

As of 0230 GMT, the main KOSPI was down 0.84 percent at 1,666.08 points, with technology shares lower after world No.2 memory chipmaker Hynix Semiconductor Inc (000660.KS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) lost a patent wrangle with a U.S. rival.

The index opened 0.46 percent lower at 1,671.98 points.

**HYUNDAI ENGINEERING DOWN ON M&A WORRIES**

Shares in Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co (000720.KS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), South Korea's top builder by orders, slid 5.28 percent to 84,300 won after the sale process of Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (042660.KS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) got underway on Wednesday.

"News the Daewoo sale has kicked off raised investors' worries about when Hyundai's sale will actually be launched," said Hong Seo-yeon, an analyst at Dongbu Securities." said Hong Seo-yeon, an analyst at Dongbu Securities.

State-run Korea Development Bank on Wednesday said it would sell a major stake in Daewoo, putting the shipbuilder up for sale before Hyundai Engineering. KDB is one of nine financial institutions which control 56.7 percent of the builder.

0230 GMT

**STX CORP GAINS ON STRONG OUTLOOK**