* KOSPI rises, foreigners net buyers
* Korean won strengthens against dollar
* South Korea benchmark bond yield falls
SEOUL, May 22 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets:
** South Korean shares edged higher on Wednesday, tracking an overnight record high in S&P 500 index, although local traders remained on the sidelines in the absence of any market-moving drivers. The won firmed, while the benchmark bond yield fell.
** The benchmark KOSPI closed up 2.69 points, or 0.10%, at 2,726.87.
** Among index heavyweights, chipmaker Samsung Electronics was flat, while peer SK Hynix gained 1.7%. Shares of battery maker LG Energy Solution climbed 0.7%.
** South Korea has no plan to lift a ban on stock short-selling until it can put a system in place to stop big investment banks engaging in illicit trading practices, Yonhap news reported on Wednesday, citing a presidential official.
** Hyundai Motor added 0.8% and sister automaker Kia Corp lost 0.6%, while search engine Naver and instant messenger Kakao were down 0.3% and down 0.2%, respectively.
** Of the total 932 traded issues, 429 shares advanced, while 437 declined.
** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 10.5 billion won on the main board on Wednesday.
** The won was quoted at 1,361.9 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.10% higher than its previous close at 1,363.3.
** In offshore trading, the won was quoted at 1,362.3 per dollar, up 0.1% on the day, while in non-deliverable forward trading its one-month contract was quoted at 1,360.1.
** The KOSPI has risen 2.70% so far this year, but lost 0.6% in the previous 30 trading sessions.
** The won has lost 5.4% against the dollar so far this year.
** In money and debt markets, June futures on three-year treasury bonds rose 0.07 point to 104.50.
** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield fell 1.5 basis points to 3.395%, while the benchmark 10-year yield fell 3.2 basis points to 3.459%.
(Reporting by Cynthia Kim; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)