* KOSPI rises, foreigners net buyers

* Korean won weakens against dollar

* South Korea benchmark bond yield falls

* For the midday report, please click

SEOUL, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

** South Korean shares rose on Monday on rumours that the government may loosen rules on capital gains taxes for retail investors towards the year-end. The won weakened, while the benchmark bond yield fell.

** The benchmark KOSPI rose 3.30 points, or 0.13%, to 2,566.86 by 06:32 GMT.

** Korea currently levies a capital gains tax on major shareholders who own stocks worth more than 1 billion won ($771,164) in a single company. Several local news outlets reported that this threshold may be raised so that fewer investors become subject to the levy.

** Among index heavyweights, chipmaker Samsung Electronics fell 0.55% and peer SK Hynix was flat, while battery maker LG Energy Solution was flat.

** Just days after a Fed meeting that pencilled in an ample course of rate cuts next year, which in turn unleashed a broad rally in financial markets, one of the U.S. central bank's top policymakers pushed back on the ebullience on Friday.

** North Korea fired what appeared to be a long-range ballistic missile on Monday, South Korea's military said, its second missile launch in less than 12 hours as Pyongyang condemned a U.S.-led show of force against the nuclear-armed state.

** Hyundai Motor shed 0.41% and sister automaker Kia Corp gained 0.11%, while search engine Naver and instant messenger Kakao were down 1.33% and down 1.82%, respectively.

** Of the total 936 traded issues, 453 shares advanced, while 432 declined.

** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 59.4 billion won on the main board on Monday.

** The won was quoted at 1,297.2 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.05% lower than its previous close at 1,296.5.

** In offshore trading, the won was quoted at 1,296.8 per dollar, up 0.3% on the day, while in non-deliverable forward trading its one-month contract was quoted at 1,294.2.

($1 = 1,296.7400 won) (Reporting by Cynthia Kim; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)