KOSPI falls, foreigners net buyers

Korean won hits lowest since early Oct 2019

South Korea benchmark bond yield falls

For the midday report, please click

SEOUL, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

** South Korean stocks fell on Thursday as a spike in new coronavirus cases in the country fanned worries about the economic impact of the epidemic. The Korean won slumped to its lowest level since early October and the benchmark bond yield also declined. ** The Seoul stock market's main KOSPI .KS11 ended down 14.84 points, or 0.67%, at 2,195.50. ** South Korea's government reported 31 new cases of coronavirus on Thursday, after a new outbreak traced to church services in the southwestern city of Daegu, bringing the number of people infected in the country to 82. ** The fast spread of the virus heightened investors' fears, which weighed on the won, said Lee Kyoung-min, an analyst at Daishin Securities. ** Shares of South Korean ethanol producers surged as investors bet on rising demand for alcohol-based hand sanitizers after the government reported a spike in new virus cases. ** Foreigners were net buyers of 111.7 billion won ($93.22 million) worth of shares on the main board. ** The won was quoted at 1,198.7 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform KRW=KFTC, its lowest close since Oct. 2, 2019, 0.78% weaker than its previous close at 1,189.3. ** In offshore trading, the won KRW= was quoted at 1,198.5 per U.S. dollar, down 0.5% from the previous day, while in non-deliverable forward trading its one-month contract KRW1MNDFOR= was quoted at 1,197.2 per dollar. ** MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS was down 0.29%, after U.S. stocks closed up overnight MKTS/GLOB. Japanese stocks .N225 rose 0.34%. ** The KOSPI is down 0.10% so far this year, but gained 2.6% in the previous 30 trading sessions. ** The trading volume during the session in the KOSPI index .KS11 was 697.35 million shares. Of the total traded issues of 904, the number of advancing shares was 186. ** The won has lost 3.5% against the dollar so far this year. ** In money and debt markets, March futures on three-year treasury bonds KTBc1 rose 0.17 points to 110.97, while the 3-month Certificate of Deposit rate was quoted at 1.42% in late afternoon trade. ** The most liquid 3-year Korean treasury bond yield fell by 3.9 basis points to 1.245% in late afternoon trade, while the benchmark 10-year yield fell by 3.6 basis points to 1.523%.

($1 = 1,198.2400 won)

(Reporting by Hayoung Choi; Editing by Aditya Soni)

((hayoung.choi@thomsonreuters.com; +82 2 6936 1468;))

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