Companies in South Korea floated bonds worth $17.5b (KRW20.8t) in July 2020, up 73.5% from the previous month. Bond sales in South Korea totaled $29.67b (KRW85.2t) in July, up $1.6b (KRW1.9t) from the prior month. Issuance skyrocketed due to higher sales of low-grade bond issues through private placement.
Sales of privately placed corporate bonds stood at $12.38b (KRW14.7t) in July, up $9.77b (KRW11.6t) from June. On the other hand, issues of gilt-edged bonds with a credit rating of AA and higher sank 27.2% on-month to $2.61b (KRW3.1t) over the same period.