Round-up of South Korean financial markets:

** South Korean shares closed nearly 1% higher on Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve signalled a slowdown in monetary tightening, a stance mirrored by the Bank of Korea.

** The Korean won posted its best session in nearly two weeks, while the benchmark bond yield dropped to a three-month low.

** The benchmark KOSPI rose 23.32 points, or 0.96%, to close at 2,441.33.

** The Bank of Korea (BOK) on Thursday slowed the pace of rate hikes, sharply cut its 2023 growth forecast and tweaked the language used to describe its rates outlook, suggesting it could be headed towards the end of its tightening cycle.

** In the United States, a "substantial majority" of policymakers at the Federal Reserve's meeting early this month agreed it would "likely soon be appropriate" to slow the pace of interest rate hikes, the meeting minutes showed overnight.

** "Monetary tightening is nearing the end," said Mirae Asset Securities' analyst Seo Sang-young.

** "The Fed's pivot is now certain, and the BOK's sharp downgrade of growth projections raised expectations that it is unlikely to further raise interest rates much higher."

** Among heavyweights, technology giant Samsung Electronics rose 0.66%, peer SK Hynix jumped 2%, and battery maker LG Energy Solution advanced 1.25%.

** Of the total traded issues of 930, the number of advancing shares were 670.

** Foreigners were net buyers of shares worth 126.0 billion won ($94.91 million) on the main board.

** The won ended 1.78% higher at 1,328.2 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, the best daily performance since Nov. 11.

** In money and debt markets, December futures on three-year treasury bonds jumped 0.40 point to 103.63.

** The most liquid three-year Korean treasury bond yield dropped as much as 18.5 basis points to 3.674%, the lowest since Sept. 15, and the benchmark 10-year yield fell as much as 16.4 basis points to 3.619%, hitting its lowest since Aug. 26. ($1 = 1,327.5100 won) (Reporting by Jihoon Lee; editing by Uttaresh.V)