Retail investor-exclusive gov't bonds to be sold from June

Mirae Asset Securities headquarters in central Seoul / Courtesy of Mirae Asset Securities

Starting from June, retail investors will be able to invest in government bonds in small amounts, if they hold an account exclusive to an individual investor's treasury bond investment.

Mirae Asset Securities announced Tuesday that it had begun the registration process the day before for the account opening, and over 2,100 individuals signed up for the account on the first day.

The government bonds that will be available solely through the account to retail investors are a new kind of bond created last year by the Korean government, aiming to assist the public's stable formation of wealth and assets from a medium- to long-term perspective. The bonds will be issued in June.

The key features of the government bonds issued for individual investors is that they provide increased benefits for those who hold the bonds until the maturity, compared to other existing bonds. Issued in two types with maturities of 10 years and 20 years, they offer additional interest on top of the surface interest rate, if held until maturity. Benefits of compound interest and taxation will also be applied upon maturity.

These bonds will be issued 11 times a year from January to November, and they can be purchased only during a set period each month. The minimum investment amount per person is 100,000 won ($73) with an annual maximum of 100 million won. The bonds cannot be resold within one year of purchase.