SEOUL: Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
South Korean shares fell on Monday after better-than-expected US payroll data reinforced bets that the Federal Reserve will be cautious in trimming interest rates this year. The won weakened, while the benchmark bond yield rose.
The benchmark KOSPI was down 25.37 points, or 1.01%, at 2,490.44, as of 0218 GMT.
Among index heavyweights, chipmaker Samsung Electronics fell 1.63% and peer SK Hynix lost 3.19%, while battery maker LG Energy Solution was flat.
Hyundai Motor shed 2.88% and sister automaker Kia Corp lost 1.70%, while search engine Naver and instant messenger Kakao were down 0.25% and down 0.27%, respectively.
US job growth unexpectedly accelerated in December, while the unemployment rate fell to 4.1%, as the labor market ended the year on a solid footing, reinforcing views that the Federal Reserve would keep interest rates unchanged this month.
Of the total 943 traded issues, 202 shares advanced, while 694 declined.
Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 365.1 billion won on the main board on Monday.
The won was quoted at 1,472.4 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.03% lower than its previous close at 1,472.0.
In offshore trading, the won was quoted at 1,471.6 per dollar, up 0.1% on the day, while in non-deliverable forward trading its one-month contract was quoted at 1,469.6.
The KOSPI has risen 3.79% so far this year, but lost 0.2% in the previous 30 trading sessions.
In money and debt markets, March futures on three-year treasury bonds fell 0.21 point to 106.61.
The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield rose 9.5 basis points to 2.656%, while the benchmark 10-year yield rose by 19.8 basis points to 2.880%.