Bank of Korea raised interest rate by 0.25% to 0.75% today, becoming the first major Asian economy to hike. “The Board will gradually adjust the degree of monetary policy accommodation as the Korean economy is expected to continue its sound growth and inflation to run above 2% for some time, despite ongoing uncertainties over the virus,” the BOK said in its monetary policy statement.
Governor Lee Ju-yeol said, “we’ve decided to put the focus on reducing financial imbalances, and as we raise the rate, we are embarking on a process of normalizing policy in line with economic recovery.”
BoK maintained its forecast of 4% GDP growth this year. Consumer inflation forecast was, however, upgraded from 1.8% to 2.1%.
