Dealers said the market came under pressure as many investors took to the sidelines ahead of the US interest rate decision.
The KOSPI index closed down 6.78 points at 1,317.42.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong share prices closed 0.21 percent firmer on a technical rebound after Thursday's sharp fall, with the gains capped by some year-end selling by institutional investors.
Dealers said trade was also cautious ahead of this week's US Federal Reserve policy meeting and the WTO summit in Hong Kong.
The Hang Seng Index closed up 31.35 points at 14,910.51.
Shanghai share prices rose 1.38 percent to finish a choppy week on a strong note Friday, led by the banks and real estate stocks as investors rotated around the market looking for bargains.
Dealers said that turnover continued modest in the absence of any fresh lead on the policy front, with the only real feature being interest in the precious metals companies as the price of gold continued to rise.
The Shanghai A-share Index added 15.96 points to 1,170.81, while the Shenzhen A-share Index was up 4.44 points or 1.63 percent at 277.20. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index, which covers A and B-shares, rose 15.15 points or 1.38 percent at 1,113.48.
Sydney share prices closed little changed in lackluster trade marked by late interest which took the market off its lows.
Dealers said higher prices for oil, gold and base metals helped the resources sector which continued to lead the market.
The S&P/ASX 200 index was up 2.1 points at 4,580.1.
Singapore share prices closed 0.67 percent higher on gains in blue chips linked to state investment firm Temasek Holdings.
The Straits Times Index rose 15.39 points to 2,321.1.
Kuala Lumpur share prices closed 0.24 percent higher as last-minute buying on selected blue chips by local funds turned around an otherwise sluggish market.
The Composite Index was up 2.19 points to 898.30.
Wellington share prices fell 1.47 percent after overnight losses on Wall Street amid concerns about how long interest rates will remain high after the latest hike earlier in the week. The benchmark NZSX-50 gross index was down 46.68 points to 3,183.31.
In Mumbai share prices surged 1.81 percent to a fresh high on aggressive buying by foreign funds on expectations the economy will post eight percent growth in the second half to March. The 30-share SENSEX climbed 160.97 points to close at a record peak of 9,067.28, beating the previous high of 8,931.16 set on Nov. 29.
"Foreign funds and also local institutions were strong buyers across all sectors on expectations the economy will continue to grow at eight percent over the second half," said Hemen Kapadia, partner at investment advisory firm Morpheus Inc.
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