* KOSPI rises, foreigners net sellers

* Korean won weakens against U.S. dollar

* South Korea benchmark bond yield rises

* For the midday report, please click

SEOUL, March 31 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

** South Korean shares ended March up about 2% on Thursday, on hopes of inflationary pressures easing, as U.S. President Joe Biden weighed releasing up to 180 million barrels of oil, but weak China factory data and Ukraine crisis capped gains.

** The won weakened, while the benchmark bond yield rose.

** The benchmark KOSPI ended up 10.91 points, or 0.40%, at 2,757.65, gaining for a third straight session.

** The index posted a monthly gain of 2.17%, while tumbling 7.39% in the first quarter, its worst quarterly drop in two years.

** Biden is expected to announce a plan, aimed at lowering gasoline prices that have hit record levels amid the Ukraine crisis.

** Sentiment was hurt by weak Chinese factory and services sectors, as both swung into negative in March for the first time since COVID-19 outbreak in 2020.

** Russia's latest attack in the outskirts of Kyiv and a besieged city in northern Ukraine also dampened hopes for peaceful negotiations.

** South Korea's central bank data showed manufacturers' business confidence had soured most in two years on worries over rising raw material prices and logistics costs.

** Foreigners were net sellers of 176.1 billion won ($145.29 million) worth of shares on the main board.

** The won ended at 1,212.1 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.21% lower than Wednesday.

** In offshore trading, the won was quoted at 1,212.0, while in non-deliverable forward trading its one-month contract was quoted at 1,211.9.

** In money and debt markets, June futures on three-year treasury bonds fell 0.15 points to 106.22.

** The most liquid 3-year Korean treasury bond yield rose by 4.4 basis points to 2.658%, while the benchmark 10-year yield rose by 8.4 basis points to 2.969%. ($1 = 1,212.0600 won) (Reporting by Joori Roh; Editing by Rashmi Aich)