South Korean companies issued bonds worth 13.8 trillion won ($12.4 billion) last month, up 72.8 percent from a month earlier, data showed Thursday, as they capitalized on record-low interest rates.

Sales of debts by non-financial firms more than doubled to 4.9 trillion won last month from a month earlier, according to the data by the Financial Supervisory Service. 

Sales of debts by financial firms also shot up 35.9 percent on month to 7.5 trillion won last month, the FSS data showed.

Most new debts were aimed at rolling over or repaying maturing debts more cheaply, the FSS said.

In February, the Bank of Korea kept its interest rates unchanged for an eighth straight month at a record-low of 1.25 percent.

Last month, sales of new stocks stood at 249.7 billion won, up 110.2 percent from a month earlier, the FSS said.

Seven firms raised a total of 97.6 billion won last month through initial public offerings, it said. (Yonhap)