The Korea Herald

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Korea pledges additional W100b to support rattled stock market

By Park Han-na

Published : Dec. 9, 2024 - 16:05

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Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok presides over an emergency meeting on macroeconomic and financial stability at the government complex in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap) Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok presides over an emergency meeting on macroeconomic and financial stability at the government complex in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap)

The South Korean government has decided to inject an additional 100 billion won ($69.7 million) to stabilize the local stock market battered by deepening political uncertainty after President Yoon Suk Yeol averted impeachment last week.

On Monday, the first trading day after the failed motion to impeach President Yoon, the benchmark Kospi and secondary Kosdaq plummeted to new 52-week lows, while the Korean currency approached its weakest point since 2009.

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok vowed that the government will spare no efforts to ensure that all available market stabilization measures are implemented immediately.

“Other market stabilization measures, such as the stock stabilization fund, are being prepared for immediate deployment at any time,” Choi said during a meeting with three other top economic policymakers on Monday. Bank of Korea Governor Rhee Chang-yong, Financial Services Commission Chairman Kim Byoung-hwan, and Financial Supervisory Service Gov. Lee Bok-hyun were in attendance to evaluate the current situation in the financial and foreign exchange markets and discuss future response plans.

Their meeting came amid growing concerns that fierce clashes between the ruling and opposition parties centering on Yoon’s brief imposition of martial law last week would be prolonged and would affect domestic and foreign investor sentiment.

According to Monday’s announcement, the government will raise 70 billion won this week and 30 billion won next week to inject into the Value Up Fund, a part of the government’s Corporate Value Up program aimed at increasing shareholder value by investing in firms that enhance their corporate governance and market practices. The additional support follows a 30 billion won cash injection deployed last week.

Next week, the government also plans to roll out a second round of stabilization funds worth 300 billion won.

Market experts see the stock market stabilization measure as insufficient to convince investors to return to Korean shares.

“Investors want to see more aggressive measures with bigger amounts and a determination to turn policies into action. This is not a time for dribs and drabs,” said Seo Sang-young, a researcher at Mirae Asset Securities.

As of 2:00 p.m., the Kospi showed an intraday decline of 2.31 percent to 2,372.07 points while the Kosdaq shed 4.45 percent to 631.87 points after touching a four-year low.

“(The domestic political situation) has entered a phase of political resolution and settlement, but political uncertainty has not been resolved,” said Lee Kyeong-min, a researcher at Daishin Securities.

“It is inevitable that it will be stirred by political issues, events and news.”

To ensure the stability of the bond market, the government plans to carry out emergency buybacks, and the Bank of Korea will increase its purchases of government bonds if necessary.

In a bid to address fluctuations in the exchange rate, the BOK also plans to boost short-term liquidity through reverse repurchase agreements if needed.

A measure to promote foreign exchange inflow will be announced later this month after consultation with other government bodies.

The focus of the Korean financial authorities has been strengthening communication with external stakeholders. Letters have been sent in the name of the deputy prime minister to international credit rating agencies and financial institutions, foreign investors, the finance ministers of major countries, and investment banks while dispatching financial cooperation ambassadors to international organizations and major countries to ensure that Korea’s credibility is not affected by the political crisis.

Choi said he would operate a round-the-clock task force with economy-related ministers to monitor the overall economy and people’s livelihoods, including finance and foreign exchange, as well as consumption, investment, exports, employment and prices.

Mid- to long-term structural reforms, such as strengthening industrial competitiveness and advancing foreign exchange and capital markets, will proceed as planned, the finance ministry said.