Seoul: South Korea has pledged to ensure no obstacles to investment as it begins phased inclusion in the World Government Bond Index (WGBI), a key global government bond benchmark run by FTSE Russell, the finance ministry said Monday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, separate meetings were held by Heo Seung-chul, director general for national treasury policy at the Ministry of Finance and Economy, with FTSE Russell and eight institutions, including pension funds, major asset managers, and global custodian banks, in Japan last week, the ministry said.

"We will do our utmost to ensure there are no obstacles to investment," Heo was quoted by the ministry as saying, adding that Seoul will continue to improve its bond market in line with global standards.

South Korea began its eight-month phased inclusion in the index in April, a move authorities believe will help stabilize the domestic bond and foreign exchange markets.

Heo told investors that new investments, particularly from Japanese investors, have been flowing in since late March.

Japanese investors positively assessed South Korea's regulatory improvements during the inclusion process, noting the market's growing maturity and the government's commitment to financial market advancement, the ministry said.

They further described Korean Treasury bonds as an attractive investment opportunity, it added.