South Korean Won Hits Over 8-Month Low

2025-12-15 02:28 By Erika Ordonez 1 min. read

The South Korean won slid to around 1,483 per dollar, hitting its lowest level since April amid persistent capital outflows and structural dollar supply-demand imbalances, prompting authorities to signal intervention.

During an emergency Monetary Policy Board meeting, the central bank said it would exempt the foreign exchange soundness levy and pay interest on foreign currency reserve requirements from January through June 2026.

The move comes amid the won’s sustained depreciation, which fell over 8% in the second half of 2025.

Bank of Korea board member Chang Yong-sung cautioned on Tuesday that heightened volatility in the won, along with fluctuations in equities and upward pressure on housing, poses significant challenges.

In recent weeks, the central bank has rolled out a series of measures to stabilize the won; however, investors continue to call for more comprehensive, long-term solutions.

Attention is now focused on the next monetary policy meeting scheduled for January.



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