South Korean shares post biggest weekly loss in over two months

Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

** South Korean shares rose on Friday, in line with global market's risk-on sentiment and led by heavyweight chipmakers and platform stocks, but still posted their worst week in more than two months.

** The Korean won strengthened more than 1% against the dollar, while the benchmark bond yield fell.

** The benchmark KOSPI KOSPI rose 17.96 points, or 0.76%, to 2,389.04 by the close of the session, ending a five-session losing streak.

** The index fell for a fourth straight week, down 1.86% - its steepest drop since late September.

** "The local market tracked Wall Street's rebound overnight, but gains were capped amid wait-and-see sentiment over China's economic indicators, U.S. inflation data and the Federal Reserve's policy meeting next week," said Lee Kyoung-min, an analyst at Daishin Securities.

** Leading the index higher were chipmakers tracking a sharp rise in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index SOX overnight. Samsung Electronics 005930 rose 2.03% and peer SK Hynix 000660 gained 3.43%.

** Platform firms Naver 035420 and Kakao 035720 added 5.12% and 4.68%, respectively.

** Media content and entertainment stocks jumped on investor expectations for a further reopening of the Chinese market.

** Battery maker LG Energy Solution 373220 dropped 3.01% and parent LG Chem 051910 fell 6.42%, while peer Samsung SDI 006400 declined 6.93%, extending losses following a production cut by Tesla TSLA.

** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 98.2 billion won ($75.46 million). They sold nearly one trillion for the week, the most since early September.

** The won ended onshore trade USDKRW at 1,301.3 per dollar, 1.28% higher than its previous close at 1,318.0.

** The currency weakened 0.11% for the week, its first drop in three.

** In money and debt markets, December futures on three-year treasury bonds (KTBc1) rose 0.11 point to 103.80.

** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield rose by 0.9 basis points to 3.680%, while the benchmark 10-year yield fell by 2.6 basis points to 3.501%.

($1 = 1,301.3700 won)