* KOSPI rises, foreigners net buyers

* Korean won strengthens against dollar

* South Korea benchmark bond yield falls

SEOUL, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

** South Korean shares rose on Wednesday on expectations that the upcoming U.S. inflation data will allow the Federal Reserve to start cutting interest rates soon. The won strengthened, while the benchmark bond yield fell.

** The benchmark KOSPI rose 18.71 points, or 0.71%, to 2,640.21 by 02:46 GMT.

** Among index heavyweights, chipmaker Samsung Electronics rose 1.58% and peer SK Hynix gained 2.80%, while battery maker LG Energy Solution climbed 3.03%.

** South Korea's unemployment rate decreased to 2.5% in July on a seasonally adjusted basis, from 2.8% in June, Statistics Korea data showed on Wednesday.

** The U.S. producer price index for final demand increased 0.1% from a month ago in evidence of waning inflation pressures. Investors are waiting for the consumer price index later on Wednesday.

** Hyundai Motor shed 0.82% and sister automaker Kia Corp lost 0.68%, while search engine Naver and instant messenger Kakao were down 0.26% and unchanged, respectively.

** Of the total 935 traded issues, 567 shares advanced, while 308 declined.

** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 83.3 billion won ($61.22 million) on the main board on Wednesday.

** The won was quoted at 1,360.0 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.48% higher than its previous close at 1,366.5.

** In offshore trading, the won was quoted at 1,360.2 per dollar, up 0.1% on the day, while in non-deliverable forward trading its one-month contract was quoted at 1,357.7.

** The KOSPI has fallen 0.57% so far this year, and lost 5.7% in the previous 30 trading sessions.

** The won has lost 5.3% against the dollar so far this year.

** In money and debt markets, September futures on three-year treasury bonds rose 0.07 point to 106.05.

** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield fell by 2.4 basis points to 2.892%, while the benchmark 10-year yield fell by 2.2 basis points to 2.952%. ($1 = 1,360.6200 won) (Reporting by Cynthia Kim; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)