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On October 8, FTSE Russell announced Korean government bonds will be added to the FTSE WGBI, starting in November next year.
Korea's inclusion in the WGBI marks a significant revaluation of Korea’s bond market, bringing it in line with the country's standing as the world’s tenth-largest economy and its sovereign rating.
"FTSE Russell's decision indicates that the global financial market has highly recognized our economy's solid fundamentals, dynamism, and its fiscal soundness. It has reflected global investors' confidence and credibility in the government's policy direction pursued over the past two years.“
- Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance of Korea (Press briefing on Korea’s WGBI inclusion, October 9)
The WGBI inclusion is expected to:
- attract an inflow of more than 75 trillion won (approximately $56 billion) in foreign investment tracking the index into the domestic market
- stabilize interest rates, easing financial burden on Korean citizens and businesses
- secure demand base for the government bond, enabling stable mid to long-term fiscal management
- elevate Korea's status in the global financial market and contribute to Korea’s FX market stability