South Korea bonds gain in thin trade, await economic data

SEOUL: South Korean bond prices rose on Monday but trade was thin as players awaited domestic and international data for clues on whether economic activity is picking up.

In South Korea, investors will closely watch the July foreign trade and inflation data due out on Thursday for the latest clues on the health of Asia's fourth-largest economy.

Later this week, the United States, Europe and China will release manufacturing indexes, with China of particular interest as its growth shows further signs of cooling.

In Seoul on Monday, the yield on the benchmark 10-year government bonds slid 5 basis point to 3.46 percent, while lead September futures on 3-year treasury bonds ended up 0.14 points at 105.63.