Seoul stocks plummet nearly 6% amid escalating Mideast tensions

Seoul stocks snapped their three-day winning streak to plummet nearly 6 percent on Friday, as escalating tensions in the Middle East sapped risk appetite. The local currency rose against the greenback. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 406.27 points, or 5.72 percent, to 6,690.62 after falling as low as 6,650.41. The sharp decline triggered the country's bourse operator to suspend program trading for five minutes in early trading. Trade volume was moderate at 395.1 million shar