* KOSPI rises, foreigners net sellers * Korean won weakens against dollar * South Korea benchmark bond yield rises SEOUL, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets: ** South Korean shares rose 1% on Wednesday, led by financial stocks on market reform hopes, while POSCO Holdings rallied on foraying into Australian lithium mines. ** The benchmark KOSPI <.KS11> was up 42.71 points, or 1.04%, at 4,149.10, as of 0225 GMT. ** South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered on Tuesday to prepare tax benefits for long-term stock investors, according to local media. ** Most board members of the Bank of Korea expressed caution about further policy easing as they kept interest rates steady at their last meeting on October 23, minutes of the meeting showed on Tuesday. ** The financial sector <.KS49> rose 2.13%, while securities firms <.KS53> climbed 4.20%. ** POSCO Holdings <005490.KS> rose as much as 6.6%, set for its biggest daily jump since early July, after the steelmaker signed a $765 million deal with Australia's Mineral Resources for a joint venture on lithium business. ** Chipmaker Samsung Electronics <005930.KS> rose 0.19%, while peer SK Hynix <000660.KS> was flat. Battery maker LG Energy Solution <373220.KS> climbed 1.16%. ** Hyundai Motor <005380.KS> and sister automaker Kia Corp <000270.KS> were up 2.97% and 2.76%, respectively. ** Of the total 926 traded issues, 747 shares advanced, while 139 declined. ** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 301.8 billion won ($212.31 million). ** The won was quoted at 1,467.1 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform , 0.25% lower than its previous close at 1,463.4. ** In money and debt markets, December futures on three-year treasury bonds lost 0.09 point to 105.99. ** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield rose by 3.2 basis points to 2.859%, while the benchmark 10-year yield rose by 0.7 basis point to 3.228%. ($1 = 1,421.4800 won) (Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu) ((jihoon.lee@thomsonreuters.com;)) Keywords: SOUTHKOREA MARKETS/MIDDAY
