{"id":2199921,"date":"2023-01-19T09:35:11","date_gmt":"2023-01-19T09:35:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nknews.org\/koreapro\/?p=2199921"},"modified":"2023-04-05T16:10:20","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T07:10:20","slug":"what-the-bank-of-korea-hopes-and-fears-for-the-south-korean-economy-in-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/01\/what-the-bank-of-korea-hopes-and-fears-for-the-south-korean-economy-in-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"What the Bank of Korea hopes and fears for the South Korean economy in 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"
South Korean central bank chief Rhee Chang-yong spoke at his first international press conference of the year on Tuesday, giving several insights about the state of the world and the ROK economy and prospects for the future.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n During the event, Rhee provided an overall positive outlook for the South Korean economy in 2023. Low loan delinquency rates, high bank capital ratios and a strong asset base mean the chances of a general financial crisis are low.<\/span><\/p>\n But he also underlined the risks of a sectoral shock within South Korea\u2019s real estate sector, making clear that the BOK is watching closely for signs of a hard landing and is ready to intervene with targeted actions, including supplementary liquidity provision.<\/span><\/p>\n And while he said low oil prices and the promise of a Chinese economic recovery provide reasons for optimism, he noted that the potential for upward pressure on oil prices and growing \u201cgeopolitical fragmentation\u201d are causes for concern.<\/span><\/p>\n THE BIG PICTURE<\/b><\/p>\n Starting with the positives, Rhee believes that South Korea\u2019s banks are in good health and hold substantial amounts of capital in reserve that enables them to weather the greater levels of bad debt the country will see in the coming year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In other words, a financial crisis is not a distinct possibility, though there is reason to worry about the real estate market.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The BOK\u2019s most recent financial stability <\/span>report<\/span><\/a> published in December supports Rhee\u2019s optimism: stabilized interest rates and firms and households in a stable position with household debt declining and firm debt stable. Household debt, which has been particularly worrisome, is also falling relative to disposable income.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n