* KOSPI treads water, foreigners net sellers * Korean won weakens versus U.S. dollar * South Korea benchmark bond yield slips SEOUL, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets: Seoul shares oscillated between positive and negative territory on Thursday as the Sino-U.S. pact defused a tariff war, which had roiled South Korea's trade-dependent economy, but the deal failed to soothe investor concerns about trade differences. The Korean won and the benchmark bond yield weakened. ** The United States and China signed the interim trade deal that will roll back some tariffs and boost Chinese purchases of U.S. goods and services. The deal will, however, leave in place 25% tariffs on a $250 billion array of Chinese industrial goods and components used by U.S. manufacturers. ** The deal was in line with market expectations, said Na Jeong-hwan, an analyst at DS Investment & Securities. Now the focus has shifted to China's compliance with the agreement and the progress of their talks for a Phase 2 deal, he noted. ** Though the deal was a favourable factor, local institutions' selling of KOSPI stocks also limited gains as they sell to take profits, he added. ** U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Wednesday that discussions had already begun on a "Phase 2" U.S.-China trade deal, hours after Washington and Beijing signed the pact. ** As of 0210 GMT, the Seoul stock market's main KOSPI was up 4.48 points, or 0.20%, at 2,235.46. Earlier in the session, the index dropped as much as 0.25%. ** Shares of Hyundai Motor jumped to a two-week high following some positive reviews on the first sport-utility vehicle, under its Genesis premium brand, unveiled on Wednesday. ** Foreigners were net sellers of 29.2 billion won ($25.19 million) worth of shares on the main board. ** The won was quoted at 1,158.9 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform , 0.16% lower than its previous close at 1,157.0. ** In offshore trading, the won was quoted at 1,159.0 per U.S. dollar, down 0.1% from the previous day, while in non-deliverable forward trading its one-month contract was quoted at 1,157.1 per dollar. ** MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.11%, after U.S. stocks closed up overnight . Japanese stocks was flat. ** The KOSPI rose 1.54% so far this year, and gained 6.8% in the previous 30 trading sessions. ** The trading volume during the session in the KOSPI index was 310.42 million shares and, of the total traded issues of 904, the number of advancing shares was 337. ** The won lost 0.2% against the dollar so far this year. ** In money and debt markets, March futures on three-year treasury bonds was unchanged at 110.43, while the 3-month Certificate of Deposit rate was quoted at 1.46%. ** The most liquid 3-year Korean treasury bond yield rose by 0.3 basis points to 1.394%, while the benchmark 10-year yield fell by 0.9 basis points to 1.682%. ($1 = 1,159.0900 won) (Reporting by Hayoung Choi, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
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