The finance ministry said Tuesday it will issue 2 trillion won ($1.39 billion) in government bonds for individual investors next year. The planned issuance is about 800 billion won higher than this year's total of 1.2 trillion won, according to the Ministry of Finance and Economy. The ministry said it will start issuing new three-year bonds for retail investors in April amid rising demand for short-term bonds. The move is aimed at reducing the holding burden for investors and diversifying investment options, ministry officials said. The added interest rate on the new bond will not exceed the rates offered by similar instruments, the ministry said.