Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

 

** South Korean shares ended lower on Thursday but recouped most of their early losses helped by a rebound in chipmakers' stocks, as investors assessed the outlook on semiconductor demand from booming artificial intelligence technologies.

** The benchmark KOSPI closed down 7.99 points, or 0.29%, at 2,784.06, after falling more than 1% earlier in the session.

** Chipmaker Samsung Electronics rose 0.37%, reversing its early loss of nearly 1%, and peer SK Hynix ended down by just 0.21%, after dropping 4% earlier.

** U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology beat third-quarter revenue estimates on Wednesday, driven by strong demand for its memory chips, but its shares dropped in extended trading after the current quarter's forecast disappointed investors.

** "Micron's guidance was quantitatively conservative, but qualitative aspects of its forecasts for a recovery in demand and a rise in prices were positive news for local chipmakers after all," said Na Jeong-hwan, an analyst at NH Investment Securities.

** Among other index heavyweights, automakers rose, but e-commerce firms dropped.

** SK Bioscience rose 8%, after the vaccine maker's decision to acquire a 60% stake in German pharmaceutical contract manufacturing firm IDT Biologika GmbH from Klocke Gruppe.

** Of the total 931 traded issues, 264 shares advanced, while 622 declined.

** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 509.5 billion won ($367.45 million).

** The won ended onshore trade 0.21% higher at 1,385.8 per dollar, after opening the session lower and hitting its weakest level since April 16 at 1,395.0.

** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield rose by 0.4 basis point to 3.224%, while the benchmark 10-year yield rose by 0.8 basis point to 3.301%. ($1 = 1,386.5800 won) (Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Rashmi Aich)