South Korea central bank stands pat amid renewed US tariff threat

Bank of Korea aims to tame housing prices and boost consumption

20250709 bank of korea

The Bank of Korea, at its previous rate meeting in late May, cut its policy rate by 0.25 of a percentage point with the stated goal of spurring consumption. (Photo by Mayumi Tsumita)

STEVEN BOROWIEC

SEOUL -- South Korea's central bank is keeping its key policy rate steady as it tries to perform a balancing act between reining in rising housing prices and stimulating sluggish consumption, all with the U.S. tariff threat growing more real.

The Bank of Korea on Thursday held the rate at 2.5%. All six economists polled by Yonhap news agency predicted the hold. At the previous rate meeting, in late May, the central bank implemented a cut of 0.25 of a percentage point, with the stated goal of spurring consumption.

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