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Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
** South Korean shares were trading almost flat on Friday, as battery makers offset gains in tech stocks. The Korean won strengthened 1% against the dollar, while the benchmark bond yield fell.
** The benchmark KOSPI rose 2.92 points, or 0.12%, to 2,374.00, as of 0130 GMT, after a five-session losing streak. It was on track for a fourth straight weekly loss.
** "The market is broadly in a cautious mood ahead of U.S. inflation data and its central bank meeting next week," said Choi Yoo-june, an analyst at Shinhan Securities.
** Technology giant Samsung Electronics gained 1.18% and peer SK Hynix climbed 2.03%, tracking a sharp rise in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index overnight.
** Platform firms Naver and Kakao jumped 3.23% and 3.42%, respectively.
** Battery maker LG Energy Solution dropped 3.39% and parent LG Chem fell 4.63%, while peer Samsung SDI declined 4.04%, extending losses following a production cut by Tesla.
** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 14.5 billion won ($11.12 million).
** The won was quoted at 1,305.3 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.97% higher than its previous close at 1,318.0.
** The currency was still on track for its first weekly loss in three.
** In money and debt markets, December futures on three-year treasury bonds rose 0.03 point to 103.72.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield was flat at 3.671%, while the benchmark 10-year yield fell by 1.9 basis points to 3.508%. ($1 = 1,304.4300 won) (Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)