S.Korea stocks decline amid rising yields, inflation concerns

    * KOSPI falls, foreigners net sellers
    * Korean won strengthens against U.S. dollar
    * South Korea benchmark bond yield falls

    SEOUL, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial
markets:
    
** South Korean shares fell on Tuesday as the appeal of equities
was dented amid higher yields and inflation outlook. The Korean
won strengthened, while the benchmark bond yield fell.
    
** The benchmark KOSPI         fell 7.85 points, or 0.25%, to
3,071.90 by 0247 GMT.
    
** Rising yields are the market's overriding concern and more
investors are cautious as many are expecting to see a
correction, said Choi Yoo-june, an analyst at Shinhan Investment
& Securities.     
    
** South Korean consumers' inflation expectations hit their
highest since Aug. 2019.                
    
** Bonds have been bruised by the prospect of a stronger
economic recovery and greater borrowing as U.S. President Joe
Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus package progresses.              
   
    
** Samsung Electronics             declined 0.6% and LG Chem
            dropped 3.3%.
** Foreigners were net sellers of 275.0 billion won ($247.86
million) worth of shares on the main board. 
    
** The won was quoted at 1,109.0 per dollar on the onshore
settlement platform           , up 0.13%.
    
** The KOSPI has risen 6.91% so far this year, and gained 1.6%
in the previous 30 trading sessions.
    
** The trading volume was 1,313.65 million shares. Of the total
traded issues of 912, the number of advancing shares was 316.
    
** The won has lost 2.0% against the dollar so far this year.
    
** In money and debt markets, March futures on three-year
treasury bonds         rose 0.04 point to 111.51.
    
** The most liquid 3-year Korean treasury bond yield fell by 0.3
basis point to 1.017%, while the benchmark 10-year yield fell by
0.4 basis points to 1.917%.


($1 = 1,109.4800 won)

 (Reporting by Cynthia Kim, additional reporting by Jihoon Lee;
editing by Uttaresh.V)