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KOSPI jumps 2.6%, foreigners net buyers

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Korean won strengthens by 2% vs dollar

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South Korea benchmark bond yield drops

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For the midday report, please click

SEOUL, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

** South Korean shares and currency posted their best session in two months on Monday, after U.S. data boosted expectations for a slowdown in Federal Reserve's monetary tightening. The country's benchmark bond yield also dropped.

** The benchmark KOSPI ended 60.22 points, or 2.63%, higher at 2,350.19, marking a fourth straight session of gains.

** It also posted the highest closing level since Dec. 22, 2022 and the biggest daily percentage gain since Nov. 11.

** The won also posted its best daily performance since Nov. 11, when risk assets had rallied on a slowdown in U.S. inflation. The currency ended its onshore trade 2.02% higher at 1,243.5 per dollar.

** The U.S. economy added jobs at a solid clip in December, data showed on Friday, while the annual gain of wages slowed to the weakest since August 2021, providing a relief on the inflation side.

** "The slowdown increased the possibility of the Fed delivering a 'baby-step' rate hike in February and strengthened hopes for its rate cuts in the second half of this year," said Lee Kyoung-min, an analyst at Daishin Securities.

** On the main stock bourse, technology giant Samsung Electronics rose 2.88%, peer SK Hynix gained 3.49%, and battery maker LG Energy Solution added 4.50%. Almost 800 shares advanced among 933 traded issues.

** Foreigners were net buyers of local stocks worth 652.9 billion won ($524.79 million), the biggest daily purchase since Nov. 30.

** In money and debt markets, March futures on three-year treasury bonds jumped 0.47 point to 104.20.

** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield fell by 10.1 basis points to 3.580%, and the benchmark 10-year yield fell by 9.5 basis points to 3.478%. ($1 = 1,244.1100 won) (Reporting by Jihoon Lee; editing by Uttaresh.V)