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Seoul shares rebound on strong US jobs - looking to halt 6-day slide

(Updates to midday)

* KOSPI gain alongside regional markets

* Foreigners position as net buyers, underpin the main bourse

* Samsung Elec, Hyundai Motor, KEPCO rise

SEOUL, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Seoul shares tracked Wall Street higher on Monday morning, poised to halt a six-day slump after a solid U.S. jobs report stiffened confidence the U.S. economy was recovering well enough to withstand a cut in Federal Reserve stimulus.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) was up 1 percent at 2,000.98 points by 0155 GMT after hitting an intraday high of 2,003.97 -- regaining the psychologically important 2,000 level for the first time since Dec.4.

"The Fed tapering concern still lingers with the FOMC meeting scheduled next week, but short-covering is occurring as a textbook response to robust U.S. data," said Lee Jae-hoon, an analyst at Mirae Asset Securities, referring to next week's Federal Open Market Committee meeting.

Wall Street broke a five-day losing streak on Friday after robust U.S. job data boosted conviction in the strength U.S. economic recovery.

U.S. employers added 203,000 jobs to nonfarm payrolls in November, exceeding the forecast. The U.S. unemployment rate fell to a five-year low of 7 percent in November from 7.3 percent in October, the Labor Department said.

U.S. consumer sentiment surged to a 5-month high in December, a survey showed on Friday.

Investor confidence was further buoyed by China's November exports data, as it beat forecast and added to evidence of a stabilisation in South Korea's largest export market.

Foreign investors were net purchasers 48 billion Korean won ($45 million) of local shares near mid-session, on track to reverse four days of net selling.

Market heavyweights underpinned the market's rebound, with Samsung Electronics Co Ltd rising 1.5 percent and memory chipmaker SK Hynix Inc advancing 3 percent.

Hyundai Motor Co recouped following a seven-day, 11.2 percent slide on pressure from the weak Japanese yen , to gain 0.9 percent. Affiliates Kia Motors Corp and Hyundai Mobis Co Ltd rise 0.9 percent and 1 percent, respectively.

Shipbuilders added gains, with Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co Ltd rising 2 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively.

Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO) rose 4.6 percent on prospects of improved earnings after a nuclear reactor was restarted and electricity prices raised. ($1 = 1058.0500 Korean won) (Reporting by Jungmin Jang; Editing by Eric Meijer)