Governor, Bank of Korea Seong-tae Lee of Korea, South
distributed ahead of the inflation data release.
But the same day, Lee said in a press conference Korea could experience some volatility in the future as the financial market is too exposed.
Lee said the South Korean economy is expected to face a bumpy road ahead, but the situation is not like that of the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
Lee joined the BOK in 1968 and served as the bank¡¯s chief researcher, assistant deputy governor, and a member of the Monetary Policy Committee.
Lee is well known as the influential figure with well-balanced and innovative perspectives who masterminded the revision of the Bank of Korea Act.
Lee said a weaker local currency was another key contributor to rising prices, because a weaker won translates to higher import prices.
Lee said the economy will likely grow by 4.
Under an increasingly uncertain economic environment, Lee said the central bank should weigh conflicting risks and adopt prudent monetary policy decisions.
Shinhan's Lee had previously expected the BoK to stand pat on rates in July.
In the financial markets, money supply growth has steepened since the fourth quarter of last year amid a sharp increase in bank loans to SMEs (small and medium enterprises)," governor Lee said at the conclusion of the monetary policy meeting.
We plan to manage the base rate while placing priority on economic recovery and improving financial markets because price growth is expected to slow down,' Lee said in remarks distributed ahead of the inflation data release.
Stability in the financial markets has weakened since mortgage lending ballooned household debt," Lee said in a prepared New Year speech to employees yesterday.
Lee is seeking to curtail soaring household and business debt, which raises the risk of loan defaults and could undermine the longest economic expansion in a decade.
Lee said the US$788 billion economy has weathered a stronger currency, high oil prices and tensions over North Korea's nuclear test in October to expand 5 percent last year over 2005.
Lee has kept rates on hold since August as inflation showed few signs of picking up.
growth throughout the first half of this year.
spending, central bank Governor Lee Seong Tae said.
commemorate the banks 56th anniversary.
well, Lee said today, according to the speech notes.