THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA
The Economy
Gross Domestic Product
Based on preliminary data, GDP growth in the first nine months of 2021 was 4.0% at chained 2015 year prices, primarily due to an increase in exports of goods and services by 11.1% and an increase in aggregate private and general government consumption expenditures by 3.2%, the effect of which was offset in part by an increase in imports of goods and services by 8.0%, each compared with the corresponding period of 2020.
Principal Sectors of the Economy
Prices, Wages and Employment
Based on preliminary data, the inflation rate was 2.1% and the unemployment rate was 3.9% in the first nine months of 2021.
The Financial System
Securities Markets
The Korea Composite Stock Price Index was 3,296.7 on June 30, 2021, 3,202.3 on July 30, 2021, 3,199.3 on August 31, 2021, 3,068.8 on September 30, 2021, 2,970.7 on October 29, 2021, 2,839.0 on November 30, 2021, 2,977.7 on December 30, 2021, 2,663.3 on January 28, 2022 and 2,676.5 on February 15, 2022.
Monetary Policy
Interest Rates
The Bank of Korea raised its policy rate from 0.50% to 0.75% on August 26, 2021, to 1.00% on November 25, 2021, and to 1.25% on January 14, 2022, in response to rising levels of household debt and inflationary pressures.
Foreign Exchange
The market average exchange rate between the Won and the U.S. Dollar (in Won per one U.S. Dollar) as announced by the Seoul Money Brokerage Service Ltd. was Won 1,130.0 to US$1.00 on June 30, 2021, Won 1,147.4 to US$1.00 on July 30, 2021, Won 1,164.4 to US$1.00 on August 31, 2021, Won 1,184.9 to US$1.00 on September 30, 2021, Won 1,171.7 to US$1.00 on October 29, 2021, Won 1,193.4 to US$1.00 on November 30, 2021, Won 1,185.5 to US$1.00 on December 31, 2021, Won 1,202.4 to US$1.00 on January 28, 2022 and Won 1,198.3 to US$1.00 on February 15, 2022.
Balance of Payments and Foreign Trade
Balance of Payments
Based on preliminary data, the Republic recorded a current account surplus of US$70.1 billion in the first nine months of 2021. The current account surplus in the first nine months of 2021 increased from the current account surplus of US$43.0 billion in the corresponding period of 2020, primarily due to a decrease in deficit from the services account, and to a lesser extent, increases in surpluses from the income account and the goods account.
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