South Korea finance minister provides guidance on rate outlook

South Korea’s finance Minister, in an exclusive interview with Reuters on May 19, provided a clear indication that he expects interest rates to remain unchanged at least until July, saying second-quarter data needed to be assessed before changing policy. Domestic bond prices jumped following the interview, in which Yoon Jeung-hyun also said the euro zone crisis is a factor to delay a rate increase, forcing leading domestic media, including Yonhap news agency, to pick up the Reuters story.