-
Feb 05, 2009
- Korea Economy Overview
- Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to welcome all of you and thank you for taking the time to be with us today.My presentation today largely consists of three parts.Firstly, I will give you a brief overview of Korea’s real economy and financial market and move on to talk about newly emerging risk factors in the Korean economy and their effect on the economy.Then, I will close by introducing how the Korean government is responding to the economic challenges.Now, let me start with the current status of the Korean economy and financial market.First of all, let me talk to you about the current status of Korea’s real economy.As some foreign investors are concerned, it is true that Korea’s real economy is fast deteriorating. Domestic demand is slowing down rapidly with 19.8 percent fall in December industrial output from a year earlier as well as 7.0 percent decline in consumer goods sales. Exports in December also fell by 17.9 percent year-on-year (by 29 percent according to the estimation for the period from Jan. 1 to Jan. 20).However, let me emphasize that such economic slowdown is not limited to Korea and is witnessed commonly around the world following the global financial crisis. The Korean economy is doing rather well compared to other Asian countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.If we compare December industrial output, Korea saw 19.8 percent fall while Taiwan and Singapore suffered 32.4 percent and 13.5 percent decline respectively. Even in terms of export, which is one of the main causes of concern, we see that Taiwan and Singapore have recorded greater fall than Korea with 41.9 percent and 20.8 percent decline respectively.Moreover, Korea is maintaining relatively low unemployment rate of 3.3 percent as of last December.However, things are looking better in the financial market. To our relief, the global financial market volatility has eased slightly, improving investor confidence and financial stability in Korea.The Korean stock market has recent
-
Jan 28, 2009
- Understanding Korean Economy (FAQs)
- Q1: How has Korea reacted to the economic difficulties so far?A: The Korean government has worked on expansionary liquidity supply of USD55 billion, tax reduction of USD35 billion, and increased fiscal expenditure of USD16 billion.The Korean government has taken preventive, decisive and sufficient policy measures to get out of the global economic turmoil. The measures mainly cover liquidity supply, FX market stabilization, and tax reduction and expansionary fiscal expenditure. To provide more liquidity in the market and lower interest rates, the Bank of Korea lowered a benchmark interest rate four times by 225bp from 5.25 percent to 3.00 percent. Also, the government has supplied the liquidity of KWR19,500 billion through RP purchases and credit limit raise for small- and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs).Foreign liquidity supply of USD55 billion will have been provided with USD37.6 billion already provided by the end of Dec. ’08. Currency swap arrangements with the US, Japan, and China, amounting to USD30 billion each, have been completed along with the IMF Short-term Liquidity Facility of USD22 billion fixed. The government guarantee on banks’ borrowing in foreign currencies will total USD100 billion.A total of USD35 billion tax reduction will have been implemented from ’08 to ’12 through an oil tax rebate and income/corporate tax reduction. Additional budgets of USD16 billion will have been allocated from ’08 to ’09, which are earmarked for overcoming economic difficulties including high energy prices.Deregulations to boost corporate investment, various job maintenance efforts such as promoting employment of female, the young and old, and social safety net reinforcement are among other measures the Korean government has taken.Q2: What are the key economic policies for 2009? A: The key economic polices for 2009 can be summarized as preparation for the future and job creation. The Korean government will take offensive measures to revitalize the economy a
-
Dec 22, 2008
- Amendments to Accounting Standards for FX Translation
- The Financial Services Commission (FSC), The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), and The Korean Accounting Standards Board (KASB) have agreed to implement a set of measures namely, "Amendments to Accounting Standards for FX Translation." The FSC and the FSS had been engaged in close consultations with market participants such as companies with large foreign debts, financial institutions, and accounting experts regarding the issue of accounting standard of FX translation and transactions. The proposal was affirmed at the Economic and Financial Meeting on December 19, 2008.I. Background● Due to the recent surge of won-foreign exchange rate Korean companies are experiencing huge FX translation losses in their annual report.* When FX rate increases by KRW 100, companies' FX translation loss and debt each increases by KRW 5trn. (based on US$ 50.16bn of domestic companies' foreign borrowings from foreign exchange banks)▶As a result of the drastic rise of the FX rate, Korean companies are exposed to adverse business environments such as downgrading on their credit ratings, early debts redemption, an increase in financial costs, and difficulty with obtaining new credit lines.▶If this situation sustains, financial institutions will have to suffer deteriorating BIS capital adequacy ratio and reduction in their corporate loan facilities. Consequently, this will further prolong the process of economic recovery from the current crisis.●Therefore, it had been deemed necessary to take timely actions to minimize financial burdens on companies and financial institutions, especially those related to accounting standards.II. Way Forward1. Listed Companies and Large Unlisted CompaniesA. Permission of Revaluation on Property Plant and Equipment (PPE)●(As-Is) Revaluation of PPE has not been permitted since 2001, and asset value increases for the past decade have not been reflected on the books.* Fair Valuation permitted in IFRS (IAS 16)●(Improvement) Revaluation of real esta
-
Dec 04, 2008
- Fn Hub Korea to Support Employment of Overseas Financial Expert
- On December 4, 2008 Fn Hub Korea* launched a program, which supports theemployment of financial experts working in overseas financial companies, to helpincrease the competitiveness of the domestic financial industry.* Fn Hub Korea was established on September 9, 2008, under the Financial HubFormation and Development Act, to assist foreign financial firms already active orstarting a new business in Korea, to help domestic financial companies expandoverseas, and to improve the business environment related to financial business inKorea.The program supports the recruitment, by financial companies in Korea, of financialexperts working in overseas financial companies, such as investment banks.It aims to help meet the demand for capital market experts, the demand can be attributedto the upcoming February 2009 enactment of the Financial Investment Services Capital Market Act, while also bringing in the necessary human resources to transformKorea into a financial hub.Fn Hub Korea will create a database, after receiving the necessary employmentinformation from financial companies, while also developing a system where financialexperts, who wish to transfer or find employment in Korea, will be connected to theirpreferred workplace after uploading their employment requests to Fn Hub Korea’shomepage (www.fnhubkorea.kr).Please refer to the attached file “Overseas Financial Expert Employment SupportProcedure” for a detailed outline of the recruitment process.*Please refer to the attachedPDF for details.
-
Nov 25, 2008
- The Global Financial Crisis & Korea’s Policy Response
- IGE/IMF International Conference Luncheon RemarksThe Global Financial Crisis Korea’s Policy ResponseDr. Jun Kwang-Woo Chairman Financial Services CommissionGREETINGSDistinguished guests, and ladies and gentlemen,I am delighted to be with you this afternoon, and I thank IGE Chairman Kim Pyung-Joo and President Lee Young-Tak and Dr. Mahmood Pradhan from the IMF for organizing today’s conference and inviting me to speak. I also thank speakers and distinguished participants who are with us today.In light of the deepening distress in the global financial markets, today’s conference, entitled “Lessons from the Recent Global Financial Crisis: Its Implications for the World and Korea,” is both timely and of great interest to every one of us.So I am glad to join you and share with you my perspectives on how the financial crisis emerged, what lessons we can draw from it, and where we go from here. GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS KOREAN ECONOMYThe global financial crisis started with collapsing asset prices followed by a debilitating credit crunch. Expansive monetary policy by the U.S. Federal Reserve since 2001 and a surge in foreign capital inflow since 2004 kept interest rates at record low levels.Financial deregulation also swept across the major developed countries beginning in the 1980s. During this time, capital market liberalization also picked up the pace among the emerging countries.This process ultimately led to sharp increases in financial institutions’ leveraged activities and asset inflation. In particular, as financial institutions increasingly employed aggressive asset securitization and complex derivatives to sustain high profit growth, a host of new risks began to weigh on the financial system. For their part, regulators did not fully grasp the situation and preempt the risks. And the global nature of the financial system meant that the systemic risks would be felt and shared by markets around the world.Domestic financial marketsWe are now getting clear i
-
Nov 19, 2008
- The Korea Investors’ Forum in London and New York Held by The Financial Services Commission.
- The Korea Investors’ Forum was held by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) on the 17th of November at the Landmark Hotel in London, and then on the 18th at the New York Palace Hotel in New York. They have been done in collaboration with the private sector including the Korea Exchange (Jung-Hwan Lee, CEO) and Samsung Securities (Jun-Hyun Park, President). The purpose of these events was to promote the Korean economy and the financial market to the foreign investors in advanced economies.Chairman of FSC, Kwang-Woo Jun attended the presentation held in New York on the 18th about investing in the Korean financial market to make a keynote speech on the liquidity of foreign currency, the soundness of banks, as well as on concerns over potential risks of SMEs and household (residential) debt. An analysis of objective statistics and indicators was used to minimize both the domestic and overseas concerns over the Korean economy.The guarantee of external debts, the supply of additional liquidity by the government and the BOK, and the 33 trillion won fiscal expansionary package was explained as a few of the preemptive measures put in place by the government; emphasizing the healthy macroeconomics of the country and the resilient economic fundamentals of its financial market.Furthermore, Korea’s entrance into the FTSE Developed Index as well as the entrance into the Global Dow Jones Developed Index was explained in proving the advancement made by the Korean financial market through recognition of its sovereign credibility. A request to promote such achievements by investing more into the Korean market was made. 1. Korea Investors’ ForumThe Korea Investors’ Forum held in London and New York on the 17th and 18th of November were done in an IR setting composed of an official luncheon followed by one-on-one meetings between individual corporations and institutional investors.This joint IR was held in collaboration with the FSC and the Korea Exchange, supported by Samsun
-
Nov 14, 2008
- Reporters' Discussion Points with Chairman of the Financial Services Commission
- 1. Recent Market Conditions International Markets- The global markets seem to be stabilizing after the announcement of the U.S. government’s bailout plan and the currency swap agreements signed between the key nations around the world.- Some uncertain elements still exist in the market which are expected to remain until the first quarter of 2009.- With regards to hedge funds managed by major institutional investors, there are likely to be adjustments made to the portfolios early next year which are likely to lead to swift changes in sovereign credit ratings around the globe.Domestic Markets- In response to the crisis, the Korean government utilizing all its resources and departments including the Bank of Korea (BOK), and the regulatory bodies has made devoted efforts to stabilize the domestic financial market.- To provide foreign currency liquidity to financial institutions, - We have carried out a list of actions; guaranteeing external debt payments by local banks; providing foreign currency liquidity using the Swap market; and supporting export financing through the EXIM Bank.- With respect to providing liquidity of domestic currency,- The BOK has acted aggressively by lowering the interest rate 3 times since October 9th, totaling 125bp, and expanding the number of RP receivers.- These efforts have cleared an opening in the flow of funds and has dissolved the liquidity freeze.- However, we are in a phase of a frictional credit freeze because of the lack of liquidity still in local funds.- As a result of the economic slowdown, worries of insolvency in weak segments of the economy are increasing market uncertainty.- Thus, the propensity of investors to be risk adverse is freezing the liquidity of corporate bonds and ABCP.⇒ To summarize the current situation and to put it figuratively, a blood transfusion is given to an anemic patient, but due to the hardening of the arteries, the blood is being prevented from spreading throughout the body.2. Direction of Counter
-
Nov 03, 2008
-
Oct 30, 2008
- A Decision to Reinforce the Elimination of Malignant Rumors in the Stock Market
- In early September, the Financial Services Commission partnered with other stock market related government agencies to form a Joint Countermeasure Task Force to tackle the recent widespread circulation of malignant rumors regarding the Korean stock market. An unspecified number of rumors have caused an increase in the Korea Exchange to request public inquiries of corporations to verify the nature of the rumors. Moreover, the rumors have been thought not only to disturb the fair trading environment but also to have been the sources for the plunge in certain stocks. There is also suspicion that reports containing negative outlooks from foreign analysts are connected to the initiation of short-selling and market correction. Many of these rumors have been found to be without grounds, thus causing greater concern and sparking the urgency for the development of countermeasures to seek and prevent the sources of the rumors.Implementation Plan1. Joint Countermeasure Task Force● The Expansion of the Countermeasure TeamThe Countermeasure Team which was previously run solely by the FinancialSupervisory Service (FSS) has been expanded and renamed as the JointCountermeasure Task Force to include the cooperation of the Korea SecuritiesDealers Association (KSDA), the Korea Listed Companies Association (KLCA),and the KOSDAQ Listed Companies Association (KOSDAQCA) as of September,2008.According to interviews with market analysts and personnel from the exchange, thetask force is proving to be effective in the prevention of malignant rumors.●The Operation of Call CentersSeveral call centers have been put in place to receive reports on malignant rumors,with rewards provided for genuine leads on rumors that are potentially harmful andwithout grounds.The FSS is responsible for investigating the sources of rumors and monitoringpress releases, analyst reports, various investment websites, and the actualexchange floor.Corporations have been requested to actively make voluntary public re
-
Oct 27, 2008
-
Oct 22, 2008
- Interview with the Chairman of the FSC on Bloomberg TV, 21 October, 2008
- Korea Can Give Economy More Help If Needed, Jun SaysBy Bomi Lim and Bernard LoOct. 22 (Bloomberg)South Korea is ready to take more measures torestore confidence in its financial system if needed, including a packageto shore up the economy, the nation's top financial regulator said."The follow-up measures any country can take now are fiscal stimuluspackages, economic boosting measures,'' Jun Kwang Woo, chairmanof the Financial Services Commission, said yesterday in an interview inSeoul. "Korea is in the most comfortable position to do just that.'' The benchmark Kospi stock index slumped to the lowest in more thanthree years and the won fell on concern government measures --including 8 trillion won ($6 billion) to support the construction industry --won't be enough to avert an economic slowdown. Growth probably slowed to a three-year low 3.6 percent inthe third quarter, according to the median estimate of 12 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News."We certainly have the right kind of support mechanism to be used whenever it is needed,'' Jun, 59, said inthe interview. "Given the enormity of this current round of credit crunch around the world, we cannot livewithout having an adequate contingency plan.''South Korea, saddled with a record current account deficit, pledged $130 billion, equivalent to 14 percent ofgross domestic product, to support banks as the global credit crunch saps access to foreign funds. Thegovernment Oct. 19 agreed to give lenders access to $30 billion in U.S. dollars and guarantee $100 billion offoreign-currency debt.Kospi, WonThe Kospi tumbled 5.1 percent to 1,134.86 at the close in Seoul, led by Posco, after Asia's biggest maker ofstainless steel, said it will slash production as demand slows. The index has slumped 40 percent this year.The won, Asia's worst performing currency this year, fell 3 percent to 1,364.45 to the dollar."We may need a stronger package to meaningfully reduce embedded risks in Korea's financial system,''Morgan Stanley analyst
-
Oct 20, 2008
- FSC's Published Response to the Financiual Times Articles “Singking feeling” and "Runs rekindle memories of Asian crisis a deccade ago"(October 14 and 15)
- The Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service issue the following corrections, clarifications and explanations for factual errors and questionable assertions made in the October 14 Financial Times news article “Sinking feeling”Purpose of Finance Minister Kang Man-Soo’s meetings with U.S. business executives“Kang Man-Soo, finance minister, is taking his plea for dollars to Wall Street, wherehe is due to meet with executives of banks such as Citigroup and Morgan Stanley.”Minister Kang Man-Soo met with Mr. Stephen Roach, chief economist at Morgan Stanley,and Mr. Robert Rubin, the former Treasury Secretary, on Tuesday, October 14, fordiscussions on the global financial crisis and their market views and assessment. MinisterKang did not meet with Wall Street executives to plea for dollars as the article falselyasserted. He did not take his plea to Wall Street as the news article speculated.POSCO overseas bond offering“Posco, the steel maker, said last week it would sell $1bn of bonds overseas as part ofefforts to stabilise the won.”In a press release dated October 10, POSCO announced that it is planning a US$1 billionoversea bond offering some time in the fourth quarter this year. The press release explicitlystated that the proceeds from the bond offering would be used for future investment andoperating funds. It did not say that the proceeds would be used to stabilize the won as thenews article erroneously reported.Remarks attributed to Finance Minister Kang Man-Soo“Mr. Kang recently told a parliamentary session that ‘apart from exports,everything—including investment, consumption, employment and the currentaccount balance—is showing a trend similar to that seen during the [Asian crisis].”The quote attributed to Minister Kang appears to refer to one of the many remarks he madeat a National Assembly hearing on July 22, 2008, in response to questions on the outlookfor the economy from National Assembly members. What he obse
-
Oct 20, 2008
- Introduction of competitive auction swap facility
- Introduction of competitive auction swap facility- The Bank of Korea (BOK) will introduce a competitive auction swap facility, starting from October 20, 2008. o The existing swap market participation facility will continue to operate, but the amounts involved will be gradually reduced.- The purpose of this new facility is to enhance the predictability and effectiveness of foreign currency supply and to promote stability in the foreign currency funding market. o Market stability will be pursued by supplying foreign currency funds in more effective ways to domestic foreign exchange banks, which have had difficulties raising funds from abroad amid the worsening global credit crunch.- Unlike the existing swap market participation facility, the new competitive auction swap facility will be open to all foreign exchange banks in Korea. Under this program, the BOK will conduct FX sell buy swaps or currency swaps (pay) with banks at trade terms (amounts and interest rates) decided through competitive auction. o Under the swap market participation facility, introduced in September 2007, the BOK trades with agent banks first, and then the agents trade with other FX banks. o The new facility is different, in that every FX bank engages directly in swap trades with the BOK.- The BOK's expectation is that this new facility will help to ease the recent foreign currency funding market strains. * Please refer to the attached PDF below.
-
Oct 19, 2008
- Proposed measures to overcome uncertainties in the international financial markets
- 1. Current SituationLehman’s bankruptcy filing (September 14th) sparked a chain reaction that sent globalcredit markets into disarray. Concerns have been spread around the world that loomingcredit crunch and slowdown of the real economy may be protracted. Finding a solutionout of the global credit crunch and economic uncertainties of the global economy willtake quite some time.Consequently, the governments of major economies have made efforts to coordinatetheir policy responses to the crisis and have introduced unprecedented and strongmarket stabilization measures.Despite the recent credit crisis, Korea’s real economy and its financial sector are sound.Exports show a steady growth and conditions of the banking sector remain healthy. Byvarious international standards, Korea’s foreign exchange reserves are sufficient.2. Proposed policy responsesAs other major economies start providing guarantees to inter-bank loans, the Koreangovernment will take similar measures to avoid placing domestic banks at acomparative disadvantage in terms of overseas funding and to allay fears in thefinancial market. The government will pursue market stabilization policies in apreemptive, decisive and sufficient manner to minimize the total cost of implementingthe proposed measures.① The Korean government will provide guarantees to Korean banks' external debt after securing approval of the National Assembly. When Korean banks or its overseasbranches take upon external debt from October 20th this year to June 30th, 2009, thegovernment will offer guarantees to the debt for 3 years. Initially, Korea DevelopmentBank or Korea Eximbank will provide guarantees starting from October 20th until thegovernment wins approval of the National Assembly. After securing the approval, thegovernment will take over the task of providing guarantees.* The total value of guarantees will be capped at USD 100 billion. Domestic banks’external debt reaching maturity until the end of June, 2009 is estimated t
-
Oct 17, 2008
- Corrections, Clarifications and Explanations for October 14 Financial Times News Article “Sinking feeling”
- The Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service issue the following corrections, clarifications and explanations for factual errors and questionable assertions made in the October 14 Financial Times news article “Sinking feeling.”*****Purpose of Finance Minister Kang Man-Soo’s meetings with U.S. business executives“Kang Man-Soo, finance minister, is taking his plea for dollars to Wall Street, where he is due to meet with executives of banks such as Citigroup and Morgan Stanley.”Minister Kang Man-Soo met with Mr. Stephen Roach, chief economist at Morgan Stanley, and Mr. Robert Rubin, the former Treasury Secretary, on Tuesday, October 14, for discussions on the global financial crisis and their market views and assessment. Minister Kang did not meet with Wall Street executives to plea for dollars as the article falsely asserted. He did not take his plea to Wall Street as the news article speculated.POSCO overseas bond offering“Posco, the steel maker, said last week it would sell $1bn of bonds overseas as part of efforts to stabilise the won.”In a press release dated October 10, POSCO announced that it is planning a US$1 billion oversea bond offering some time in the fourth quarter this year. The press release explicitly stated that the proceeds from the bond offering would be used for future investment and operating funds. It did not say that the proceeds would be used to stabilize the won as the news article erroneously reported.Remarks attributed to Finance Minister Kang Man-Soo“Mr. Kang recently told a parliamentary session that ‘apart from exports, everything—including investment, consumption, employment and the current account balance—is showing a trend similar to that seen during the [Asian crisis].”The quote attributed to Minister Kang appears to refer to one of the many remarks he made at a National Assembly hearing on July 22, 2008, in response to questions on the outlook for the economy from National Assembly m
-
Oct 14, 2008
- Briefing for Analysts
- 1. Total Foreign DebtRecent debts have largely been incurred as a result of bridge-financing (based on anticipated future returns) such as currency forwards. This type of financing has different characteristics to that of liabilities incurred to finance current account deficits which were prevalent prior to the Asian Financial Crisis.As of the end of June 2008, it is estimated that $151.8 billion out of a total of $419.8 billion of foreign debt by BOK will be not be subject to any repayment burdens, and thus reduce the actual foreign debt amount to $268 billion. The exclusion of debts which are not subject to any repayment burdens will result in an actual net foreign asset amounting to $154.5 billion.The current external debt ratio as of the end of June 2008 stands at 86.1%. However, the figure falls to 54.4% when foreign bank branches are excluded, significantly reducing external debt risks.2. External Debt by Sector A. Government Sector The bulk of the government sector debt ($51.8 billion out of $63.1 billion) consists of KRW-denominated government bonds and currency stabilization bonds purchased by foreigners, for which the Korean government and the BOK has ample repayment capacity.The remainder consists of $3.3 billion in foreign currency-denominated FX equilibrium bonds, $3.4 billion in public loans, etc. (i.e. long-term external debts that pose little risk). B. Banking SectorForeign debts without any repayment burdens incurred from shipbuilders' currency hedging, etc. account for 44.6%, or approx. $93.8 billion, of the external banking sector debt. Foreign debts incurred by domestic branches of foreign banks from their headquarters abroad are very low-risk compared with those of Korean banks.* Foreign bank branches hold 43.1% of total external banking sector debts, and 57.7% of short-term debts.We are applying stringent criteria for FX liquidity to domestic banks than observed in other countries; hence, our current FX liquidity level remains stable.* Develope
-
Oct 13, 2008
- Domestic Banks’ Loan to Deposit Ratio
- The Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service hereby issue a correction to the inference several newspaper articles have recently made from a cursory look at Korean banks’ loan/deposit ratios that Korean banks are funding local lending with foreign borrowing.The won-denominated loan/deposit ratio (including CDs) of domestic banks was 103.2% at end-September, 2008. Because of their deposit-like characteristics, CDs are included in determining the loan/deposit ratio, as is the convention in many countries. They are also classified as liabilities and thus subject to strict reserve requirements under the Bank of Korea Act. It should also be noted that over-the-counter bank teller sale of CDs account for approximately 80% of the total and that the average maturity of the CDs sold over-the- counter is five months. Furthermore, the loan/deposit ratio drops to 85.0% if bank-issued bonds are included in the ratio computation, meaning funding from local sources easily exceed local lending.Thus, the inference drawn from Korean banks’ loan/deposit ratios, ex-CDs and bank-issued bonds, that domestic banks are funding home lending with foreign borrowing is erroneous because local deposits and CDs have been, and continue to be, the primary sources of local funding for Korean banks.* Please refer to the attached PDF below.
-
Oct 10, 2008
- Key Issues on Korean Economy
- This document is prepared with the purpose to explain the following key issues on Korean economy.- External Debt- Foreign exchange reserve- Export- Current Account Balance- Korean Banks- FX Liquidity- Policy Responses 1. External Debt □ (Size) The ratio of external debt to GDP stands at 39% as of late 2007, which is lower than that of major developed economies1) and tolerable given the size of our economy.□ (Nature) Recent growth of external debt in Korea has risen as a counterpart to hedging activities undertaken by shipbuilders and overseas investors.ㅇ This is in stark contrast to massive foreign currency short-term borrowings induced for excessive investment by Korean Chaebols that led to the 1997 financial crisis.ㅇ As of June 2008, $152 billion out of $420 billion external debt are free of repayment burden, making the size of foreign debt with repayment burden reduced to $268 billion.ㅇ In addition, 22% of the total external debt (45% of short-term external debt) belongs to local branches of foreign banks, which makes it unfitting to be regarded as net external debt.ㅇ The IMF expressed that today's foreign debt increase in Korea not as risky as in the past. (08. 6.24, IMF Annual Consultation)1) the ratio of external debt to GDP as end of 2006 : UK(394%), Germany(144%), US(85%), Japan(35%) 2. Foreign exchange reserve□ (Size) Korea holds the 6th largest foreign exchange reserve in the world, which is deemed adequate.ㅇ The size is well beyond the IMF guideline, which is a global reference for the adequate size of FX reserve.2)ㅇ The IMF(Sep.4) and Fitch(July.16), a global credit rating agency, affirmed that Korea's reserve was sufficient.□ (Composition) Korea's reserve is composed of assets with low risk such as deposits, sovereign bonds, federal agency securities and supernational bonds.ㅇ As of September 2008, the total of $240 billion reserve can be cashed in immediately.2) IMF guideline for adequate FX reserve is a total of 3-month current pa
-
Oct 09, 2008
-
Oct 09, 2008
- News Briefing for Foreign Correspondents
- Soundness of Domestic Banks- Korea’s banking sector is sound in terms of asset strength, capital adequacy, profitability, and other soundness measures. Domestic banks’ ROA and ROE ratios, at 0.88% and 12.53%, respectively, are in line with or better than many banks in the developed countries.- Domestic banks’ average delinquency rate has risen slightly from 0.70% at end- 2007 to 0.87% at end-September, 2008. The average coverage ratio (a measure of reserves against potential loan losses) of 197.1% and BIS capital ratio of 11.36% strongly suggest that domestic banks will be able to easily absorb loan losses.- The Korean won-based liquidity ratio was 107.7% at end-August, while foreign currency-based liquidity ratio was 100.5% at end-September, both higher than the recommended level of 100% and 85%, respectively.- The loan/deposit ratio (including CDs) stood at 103.2% at end-September, slightly lower than 105.4% at end-July. Because of their deposit-like characteristics, CDs are often included in determining the loan/deposit ratio (e.g., the U.S.). The over- the-counter sale of CDs accounts for approximately 80% of the total.- It has been reported that Korean banks are borrowing in dollars and lending in won. This is incorrect because local banks are mostly financing won-denominated loans with deposits, CDs, and won-denominated bond issues.- As of end-June, 2008, foreign currency assets came to US$227.7 billion, which closely matched US$236.2 billion in foreign currency liabilities.Household Mortgages- Bank household mortgage loans outstanding totaled KRW231.8 trillion at end- September.- In 2008, bank mortgage lending rose by roughly KRW1.4 trillion a month.- Mortgage loans are sound, particularly when the low loan-to-value ratio (47.0%) and delinquency rate (0.44%) and the high coverage ratio (311.7%) are taken into account.SME Lending- The growth of bank lending to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has slowed somewhat since August. SME loans outstand
