SEOUL, Jan 2 (Reuters) - South Korean shares posted their sharpest daily decline in nearly 1-1/2 years on the first trading session of 2014, as investors felt increasingly anxious about the depreciating yen and weaker-than-expected manufacturing surveys from China.
The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed down 2.2 percent at 1,967.19 points on Thursday, the biggest daily percentage fall since mid-July 2012.
Foreign investors sold a net 349.2 billion won ($330.89 million) worth of KOSPI shares, the most since Dec.12.
Heavyweight exporters dragged on the main bourse, with Samsung Electronics Co Ltd declining for a fifth consecutive session, plunging 4.6 percent, while Hyundai Motor Co tumbled 5.1 percent. ($1 = 1055.3500 Korean won) (Reporting by Jungmin Jang; Editing by Kim Coghill)