The South Korean won strengthened to around 1,474 per dollar on Friday, gaining traction after stabilizing for two consecutive sessions as the government moved to reassure global investors. In Hong Kong, officials from the Ministry of Economy and Finance highlighted Korea’s strong fundamentals, ample FX reserves, and energy stockpiles. They also announced plans to expand the foreign exchange market toward near 24-hour trading, a move designed to improve accessibility for foreign investors. Adding to the positive sentiment, investors digested a series of key economic data releases. Consumer prices rose 2% year-on-year in February, matching the Bank of Korea’s target and marking the sixth consecutive month at or above 2%. South Korea also reported a fifth-largest monthly current account surplus on record in January, totaling $13.26 billion. The surplus surged 397.4% year-on-year and marks the country’s 33rd consecutive month of surpluses.
