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S.Korea balance of payments hit by market jitters
Reuters - 2 hours 27 minutes ago
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* May current account surplus hits five-month high
* Capital account swings to big deficit on market jitters
* Policymakers seen trying to keep won cheap to boost exports
By Yoo Choonsik
SEOUL, June 29 - South Korea posted its largest current account surplus in five months in May but suffered huge capital outflows, highlighting concerns over financial stability that prompted authorities to impose currency curbs this month.
Asia's fourth-largest economy posted a seasonally adjusted current account surplus of $3.35 billion in May, the largest this year, lifted by a rise in export value to record high levels last month, the central bank data showed on Wednesday.
But it was easily eclipsed by an $11.96 billion deficit in the capital account, which was mainly due to heavy selling of domestic stocks by foreign investors and South Korean banks' paying of money owed to overseas lenders.
"South Korea has almost fully opened its capital markets to foreign investors and in that regard is naturally faced with high volatility in capital flows across the border," said Lim Ji-won, economist at JPMorgan Chase.
"That's why policymakers have publicly said they want to keep the current account in surplus," she said. South Korean policymakers want to see big current account surpluses to keep the overall balance of payments sound.
The authorities imposed this month restrictions on banks' currency derivatives trades aimed at curbing overseas short-term borrowing and preventing sharp swings in capital flows that undermine the financial stability. [ID:nTOE65C00R]
Foreign investors, spooked by the global market turbulence, sold a net 6.1 trillion won worth of South Korean shares on the main board in May while domestic borrowers, mostly banks, paid back a net $8.64 billion to overseas lenders during the month, data showed.
Policymakers are expected to keep intervening in the currency market to prevent the won <KRW=> <KRW=KFTC> from strengthening so that exporters can better compete with rivals and boost the current account balance.
"The authorities appear very keen to maintain the won cheap even as the country's central bank is widely expected to start raising interest rates soon and despite robust exports keep dollars flowing in," said an analyst, who asked not to be named.
The won has lost 4 percent so far this year against the dollar despite the robust growth in the domestic economy.
South Korea posted surpluses in both current and capital accounts in the January-May period but the current account surplus is widely expected to taper off in line with recovering domestic demand, which will boost imports.
The Bank of Korea expects the current account surplus to shrink sharply to $10.5 billion in 2010 from $42.7 billion in 2009, and narrow further to $5.5 billion next year.
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