April 27, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] Korea‘s chief economic policymaker discussed currency market-related issues with the International Monetary Fund, the finance ministry here said on April 20.

Seoul said earlier that the country is considering the detailed disclosure of its interventions in the foreign exchange market as part of a broader move to boost transparency and clear itself of suspicion of exercising undue influence on exchange rates.

 

Ministry of Strategy and Finance

South Korea’s financial authorities have persistently claimed they do not interfere in the foreign exchange market but engage in “smoothing operations” against extreme one-sided movements.

On the sideline of the G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Washington, on April 19 (local time), South Korean finance minister Kim Dong-yeon discussed the issue with the IMF‘s chief, Christine Lagarde.

Kim told Lagarde that the Seoul government is working on a set of measures to boost transparency of its currency market.

Responding to this, Lagarde said revealing the records of currency market operations is helpful to macroeconomic stability, according to the ministry.

The minister is also set to meet US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to discuss the same issue later this week.

Last week, Washington kept South Korea on its “monitoring list” but did not designate it as a currency manipulator.

By Song Seung-hyun and newswires (ssh@heraldcorp.com)