*
KOSPI falls, foreigners net sellers
*
Korean won weakens against dollar
*
South Korea benchmark bond yield rises
SEOUL, April 18 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
** South Korean shares fell on Tuesday after a seven-session rally, dragged down by automakers as they lost access to U.S. electric-vehicle (EV) tax credits, while investors also awaited China economic data for further direction.
** The Korean won weakened, while the benchmark bond yield
rose.
** The benchmark KOSPI fell 14.09 points, or 0.55%,
to 2,561.82, as of 0119 GMT, retreating from a 10-month high.
** "The KOSPI has been rallying recently alone, so there may
follow a couple of days of cooling," said analyst Seo Jung-hun
at Samsung Securities.
** China is due to release its first-quarter gross domestic
product data on Tuesday, which likely gathered pace with the end
of strict COVID curbs.
** Hyundai Motor Co and Kia Corp fell as much as 3.3% and 3.7%, respectively, to hit one-week
lows after the U.S. Treasury released a list of EVs with access
to U.S. federal tax credits under new rules for battery
sourcing.
** LG Chem rose 1.99% on a 1.2 trillion won
($909.23 million) investment plan to build a battery precursors
plant.
** Technology giant Samsung Electronics fell 0.31% and peer SK Hynix lost 1.13%, while battery maker LG Energy Solution was flat.
** Of the total 931 issues traded, only 184 shares rose.
** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 16.7 billion
won ($12.65 million).
** The won was quoted at 1,319.1 per dollar on the onshore
settlement platform , 0.61% lower than its previous
close.
** In money and debt markets, June futures on three-year
treasury bonds fell 0.10 point to 104.77.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield
rose by 4.7 basis points to 3.332%, while the benchmark 10-year
yield rose by 3.6 basis points to 3.384%.
($1 = 1,319.8000 won)
(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
