The South Korean won advanced to around 1,471 per dollar, rebounding sharply from a four-week low after investor sentiment improved on government assurances. President Lee Jae Myung stated that policymakers expect the won to move back toward the 1,400 level over the next two months, stressing that its recent weakness reflects global market conditions rather than domestic fundamentals alone. He assured that the government would keep reviewing available tools to curb volatility, while acknowledging that stabilizing the currency would be difficult to achieve through national policies alone. Adding to positive sentiment, Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol on Wednesday announced policy measures aimed at boosting economic growth and reducing disparities. On the data front, South Korea’s exports rose 14.9% year-on-year in the first 20 days of January, driven by a 70.2% surge in semiconductors which remains the country’s top export product.
