Korean won falls nearly 6% against dollar this year amid foreign stock sell-off

The Korean won has fallen nearly 6 percent against the U.S. dollar this year, central bank data showed Sunday, as foreign investors sold off more than 156 trillion won ($102.

3 billion) worth of domestic stocks. The average exchange rate stood at 1,484.56 won per dollar during the first half of the year, according to the Bank of Korea's Economic Statistics System.

It marked the second-highest first-half average on record, behind 1,493.08 won in the first half of 1998 during the Asian financial crisis. The exchange rate climbed above the 1,500-won level in March for the first time since the global financial crisis, following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East.

Although it briefly retreated to the low 1,400-won range, it rebounded above 1,500 won in mid-May and has remained above this level ever since. The broad weakness of the won this year has made it one of the worst-performing major currencies. The Korean currency won had depreciated 5.

92 percent against the dollar on July 3, compared with the end of last year, according to Yonhap Infomax, the financial arm of Yonhap News Agency.