Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

 

** South Korean shares hit a 28-month high on Tuesday, with chipmakers tracking a Wall Street tech rally overnight, while automakers extended gains on optimism over Hyundai Motor's potential listing of its India unit.

** The benchmark KOSPI closed up 19.69 points, or 0.72%, at 2,763.79, its highest level since Feb. 10, 2022.

** "The KOSPI rose on foreign buying of mostly semiconductor stocks but pared early gains on caution ahead of U.S. retail sales data due later in the day," said Lee Kyoung-min, an analyst at Daishin Securities.

** Chipmaker Samsung Electronics rose 2.18% and peer SK Hynix gained 5.16%, after the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index hit a record high overnight.

** Hyundai Motor climbed 1.62% to hit a record high, on bets that its plan to list the India unit in Mumbai would help boost the automaker's market share. Sister automaker Kia Corp gained 1.47%.

** Battery maker LG Energy Solution fell 1.63%, while peers Samsung SDI and SK Innovation dropped 1.57% and 5.24%, respectively.

** Bank of Korea governor Rhee Chang-yong said the pace of consumer inflation is likely to continue to slow, feeding expectations the central bank will start cutting interest rates towards this year end.

** The BOK is interested in easing currency market volatility but has no specific target in mind, as it works to stabilise the dollar-won market, Rhee said.

** Of the total 933 traded issues, 377 shares advanced, while 500 declined.

** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 639.3 billion won ($462.86 million).

** The won ended onshore trade at 1,381.1 per dollar, little changed from its previous close at 1,381.2.

** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield fell by 0.1 basis point to 3.224%, while the benchmark 10-year yield fell by 11.6 basis points to 3.285%. ($1 = 1,381.2100 won) (Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Rashmi Aich)