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1st LD Writethru: S. Korea keeps interest rates at record low

Xinhua, December 10, 2015 Adjust font size:

South Korea's central bank on Thursday froze the benchmark interest rate at a record low of 1.5 percent, keeping a wait-and-see stance for six straight months.

Bank of Korea (BOK) Governor Lee Ju-yeol and six other policy board members decided to keep the benchmark 7-day repurchase rate on hold at 1.5 percent. The bank lowered the rate by a quarter percentage point in March and June each to the all-time low.

The rate decision was in line with market expectations as experts predicted the rate freeze on the back of modest recovery in private consumption and the expected rate hike in the United States. Enditem