news highlight

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  Korea to test tokenized government bonds in 2027 SEOUL, October 8 (AJP) — South Korea plans to test tokenized government bonds next year, whiled the the International Monetary Fund (IMF) worried a hasty shift could amplify liquidity shocks. The Bank of Korea (BOK) and IMF on Thursday jointly held a forum on “Scaling Tokenization: New Efficiencies, New Vulnerabilities,” a chapter of the fund’s October Global Financial Stability Report. “The Bank of Korea and the government are collaborating to launc October 8, 2026
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  Korea's C/A second monthly high, quadrupled on year as of Aug SEOUL, October 8 (AJP) —Unwaveringly robust chip demand fed the second-largest monthly current account surplus for South Korea in August, while Korean appetite for overseas debt was whetted by falling U.S. treasury and global bond prices, central bank data showed Thursday. The current account recorded a $46.11 billion surplus, widening from $42.08 billion in July and staying above $40 billion for a third straight month, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). August's sur October 8, 2026
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  Can the Korean won stay resilient through year-end? SEOUL, October 7 (AJP) — The South Korean won has held steady for more than a month after a volatile year despite heavy foreign stock selling, renewed Korean investment overseas and advance government payments tied to U.S. investment — offering relief to Koreans planning overseas trips or financing education abroad. The won closed Wednesday at 1,340.4 per dollar, up 0.9 percent from September and nearly 7 percent from the end of 2025. The pair has hovered around 1,3 October 7, 2026
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  MOFA turns ambassadors in Seoul into K-food messengers SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) - Foreign ambassadors will gather at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul later this month for South Korea's first official Hansik Day, or Korean Food Day. The foreign ministry put them on the guest list with an eye on what comes after the meal, when the envoys report back to their capitals. "Domestic ministries, after all, don't have a direct channel of communication with foreign countries," said Yi Min-jin, who heads the Cultural Cooper October 7, 2026
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  Korean Inc. net lending hits record high in Q2 SEOUL, October 7 (AJP) — South Korean nonfinancial corporations posted record net lending of 67.1 trillion won ($50.1 billion) in the second quarter as the Korean Inc. rushed to secure lending before interest rates went higher and chip boom fueled capital investment, the Bank of Korea (BOK) showed Wednesday. The figure more than tripled from 20.8 trillion won in the first quarter and marked the highest level since the BOK began compiling the series in 2009. Net lending is October 7, 2026
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  BOK taps market, FX experts for senior posts SEOUL, October 7 (AJP) — The Bank of Korea named two career officials with extensive financial-market and international finance experience to senior posts Wednesday, appointing Choi Young-joo as deputy governor and selecting Yoon Kyoung-soo as its next chief economist. Choi, currently director general of the Financial Markets Department, will oversee international finance and cooperation for a three-year term beginning October 8. He joined the Bank of Korea (BOK) in 1997 October 7, 2026
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  Global banks lift Korea growth outlook; J.P. Morgan sees 4% SEOUL, October 7 (AJP) — Major global investment banks ratcheted up 2026 growth forecast for South Korea to an average of 3.5 percent in line with a hotter-than-expected chip boom, with J.P. Morgan raising its estimate to 4.0 percent. The average projection from eight major investment banks rose from 3.3 percent at the end of August, according to data compiled by the Korea Center for International Finance (KCIF) as of the end of September. The consensus has risen for six October 7, 2026
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  Korean won holds firm — for now — as US investment pledge turns into payments SEOUL, October 6 (AJP) — South Korea has begun wiring funds to the United States under its $200 billion investment commitment in exchange for tariff relief, testing its ability to finance the pledge without unsettling the won. The currency held firm Tuesday, closing 0.4 won stronger at 1,343.6 per dollar despite signs that preparations for the investment program were beginning to affect foreign-exchange reserves. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lee Hyoung Il to October 6, 2026
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  Seoul wired first $2.4 bn to back Texas energy project SEOUL, October 06 (AJP) -South Korea has wired an initial $2.4 billion under its $200 billion investment commitment to the United States to help fund a $22.3 billion natural-gas power complex in Encinal, Texas, designed largely to supply electricity to an adjacent artificial intelligence data-center campus. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lee Hyoung Il told lawmakers Tuesday that the money was transferred on Oct. 1, the same day South Korea and the U.S. announced their October 6, 2026