SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's sale of derivatives-linked securities posted a double-digit fall in the first half amid the global stock market rout from the COVID-19 outbreak, financial watchdog data showed Tuesday.

The issuance of equity-linked securities (ELS) and derivatives-linked securities (DLS) amounted to 42.1 trillion won (36.1 billion U.S. dollars) in the January-June period, down 32.6 percent from the same period of last year, according to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS).

The double-digit fall came as the global stock market tumbled on an economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ELS issuance plunged 33.6 percent over the year to 31.6 trillion won (27.1 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half.

The ELS refers to hybrid debt securities, of which returns are determined by the performance of underlying assets, including stocks and stock indices.

The sale of DLS, which tracks the performance of interest rates, currencies, raw materials and other products, reached 10.5 trillion won (9 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half, down 29.5 percent from a year earlier.