South Korea pension fund, central financial institution develop FX swap line as received drops

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s pension fund and central financial institution have agreed to develop their international alternate swap line and prolong it by one 12 months till the tip of 2025, a transfer that comes because the received dropped to its lowest degree in 15 years.

The swap line, which permits the Nationwide Pension Service (NPS) to borrow from the central financial institution’s international alternate reserves for abroad funding, shall be expanded to $65 billion from the present $50 billion, the Financial institution of Korea stated on Thursday.

The programme, seen as a market stabilising device, was first launched in September 2022 and has since been expanded a number of occasions.

“It’s anticipated to assist stabilise the international alternate market by absorbing the pension fund’s demand to purchase {dollars} within the spot market,” the BOK stated.

The NPS may also hold its strategic international alternate hedging ratio at a most of 10% till the tip of subsequent 12 months, the welfare ministry, which oversees the fund’s funding insurance policies, stated after a coverage evaluation assembly.