South Korean issuers sold 91 trillion won (US$67.7 billion) of bonds in October, 4.5 trillion won more than in September, as financial firms increased debt financing. Foreign investors made net purchases of 8.452 trillion won (about US$6.3 billion) during the month. The total issuance covered central and regional governments, the central bank, and private and public companies. Corporate bond issuance moved in the opposite direction, falling 3.4 trillion won month-on-month to 7.4 trillion won. Outstanding South Korean bonds stood at 3,219.1 trillion won at the end of October, according to the Korea Financial Investment Association.