Sour start for Asian stocks
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SK Group is now to be run by an emergency body.
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HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- Most Asian markets have started the week on a pessimistic note, with the mood partly dampened a dismal U.S. jobs report.
Japan's financial markets were closed Monday for Coming of Age Day, a national holiday.
Losses in some shares of SK subsidiaries are hurting sentiment in South Korea, with the broader Kospi off 0.15 percent at 843.96 at the start of trading Monday. The index hit a 19-month closing high on Friday.
SK Group chairman Son Kil-seung was arrested late Friday on charges of tax evasion and embezzlement.
The company will now be run an emergency body. (Full story)
SK Corp was up 0.34 percent while Sk Telecom had dipped 0.9 percent to 221,000.
Shares in troubled LG Card had plunged over 9 percent.
A major creditor says LG Card's lenders have agreed to a $4.5 billion rescue plan.
In Taiwan, the Taiex was mostly unchanged, down only 0.05 percent.
Meanwhile, Australian stocks eased at the open dragging the S&P/ASX 200 down 0.3 percent to 3,292.2 in morning trade.
Miner BHP Billiton shed 1.6 percent and of the banks ANZ Bank lost 0.4 percent to A$17.90.
News Corp put on 0.4 percent to A$11.80.
Singapore slipped 0.35 percent at the open to 1846.03.
