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KOSPI falls for second session

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Korean won hits five-month high

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South Korea benchmark bond yield falls

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For the midday report, please click

SEOUL, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

** South Korean shares closed lower on Monday, weighed down by foreign selling, even though risk appetite improved across Asian markets after more Chinese cities relaxed COVID-19 curbs over the weekend.

** The Korean won hit a five-month high, tracking sharp gains in the Chinese yuan. The country's benchmark bond yield fell.

** The benchmark KOSPI ended the session 15.01 points, or 0.62%, lower at 2,419.32, following a 1.84% drop in the previous session.

** "The market temporarily swung to positive territory on hopes for China easing its 'zero-COVID' policy, but downward pressure intensified on foreigners' profit-taking," said Lee Kyoung-min, an analyst at Daishin Securities.

** Foreigners were net sellers of shares worth 292.2 billion won ($226.17 million) on the main board.

** They have sold 663.0 billion won of shares in the first three sessions of December, after buying a total of 3.9 trillion won in November - the biggest monthly purchase in two years.

** Some sectors expected to benefit from the broad easing of COVID restrictions in Chinese cities jumped.

** Cosmetics stocks Amorepacific Corp and Tonymoly rose more than 6% each. Low-cost carriers Jejuair and Jin Air gained 10.67% and 4.24%, respectively.

** Most heavyweights including chipmakers, automakers and battery manufacturers fell, but platform companies Naver and Kakao rose.

** The won ended 0.56% higher at 1,292.6 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, after rising as much as 0.79% to 1,289.7 - the highest since July 1.

** In money and debt markets, December futures on three-year treasury bonds rose 0.07 point to 103.95.

** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield was flat at 3.617%, while the benchmark 10-year yield fell by 2.1 basis points to 3.564%. ($1 = 1,291.9400 won) (Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)