SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- South Korea issued Australian dollar-denominated bonds worth 450 million Australian dollars (293 million U.S. dollars) for the first time, the finance ministry said Tuesday.
The five-year single-tranche Kangaroo bond was sold at an interest rate of 4.51 percent, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Through the issuance of the Australian dollar-denominated foreign exchange stabilization bonds, the Asian country diversified its foreign currency funding channels and provided the benchmark interest rate for other bonds issuance, the ministry noted.
Australia is the country's fourth-largest trading partner in terms of import value.
Previously, South Korea had issued bonds denominated in the U.S. dollar, euro, Chinese yuan and Japanese yen. ■