S.Korean bonds up on U.S. lead, buyback plan

SEOUL, Nov 25 - South Korean government bonds extended gains early on Wednesday, buoyed by a rise in U.S. Treasuries on weak data and a sizable local treasury buyback plan.

The nation's finance ministry is set to buy back about 1 trillion won in government bonds ahead of their maturities later in the day and to release its bond issuance plan for December on Thursday.

Minutes from the central bank's Oct. 9 policy meeting released after the market closed on Tuesday also gave relief as it showed board members unanimously voted to keep rates steady, with most raising concerns over the uncertain economic outlook. [ID:nSEV002902] The three-year yield <KRTSY3Y=KQ> dropped 2 basis points to 4.26 percent while front-end treasury bond futures <KTBc1> rose 5 ticks to 109.75 as of 0036 GMT. ((eunkyung.seo@thomsonreuters.com;+822 3704 5648; Reuters Messaging:eunkyung.seo.reuters.com@reuters.net)) ((If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com))