Round-up of South Korean financial markets: ** South Korean shares rose on Friday and were set for a fifth weekly gain, buoyed by the global rally that saw stocks across the United States to Japan hit all-time highs this week. The won weakened, while the benchmark bond yield rose.
** The benchmark KOSPI rose 10.87 points, or 0.37%, to 2,674.04 by 03:32 GMT. For the week, the index gained 1.03%.
** Among index heavyweights, chipmaker Samsung Electronics rose 0.14% and peer SK Hynix gained 3.71%, while battery maker LG Energy Solution slid 0.73%.
** Hyundai Motor was flat and sister automaker Kia Corp lost 0.67%, while search engine Naver and instant messenger Kakao were down 0.74% and down 1.21%, respectively.
** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 79.8 billion won on the main board on Friday.
** The won was quoted at 1,330.3 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.12% lower than its previous close at 1,328.7.
** In offshore trading, the won was quoted at 1,330.1 per dollar, down 0.2% on the day, while in non-deliverable forward trading, its one-month contract was quoted at 1,327.7.
** Japanese stocks raced to a record peak on Thursday, breaking levels last seen in 1989 during the halcyon days of the bubble economy, as cheap valuations and corporate reforms lure foreign money looking for alternatives to battered Chinese markets. ** South Korea hopes to mirror Japan’s efforts to boost the value of its companies as the neighbour’s stock market surges to a record high, with measures Seoul hopes will narrow a “Korea discount” on stock prices.
** The KOSPI has risen 0.71% so far this year and gained 4.0% in the previous 30 trading sessions.
** The won has lost 3.2% against the dollar so far this year.
** In money and debt markets, March futures on three-year treasury bonds fell 0.02 point to 104.63.
(Reporting by Cynthia Kim; Editing by Sohini Goswami)
