South Korea May Be Named Currency Manipulator, Think Tanks Warn
- Korea could be labeled as such if Treasury changes criteria
- Authorities in Korea say intervention is limited to smoothing
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As Donald Trump prepares to be sworn in as U.S. president, state-run think tanks in South Korea are raising the possibility of the country being labeled a currency manipulator along with China.
Korea was listed in the U.S. Treasury Department’s currency watch list in October, along with China, Japan, Germany, Taiwan, and Switzerland, for meeting two of the three criteria used to monitor currency practices. There’s concern in Seoul that the U.S. may adjust the criteria so Trump can make good on his pledge to brand China a currency manipulator within 100 days of taking office, and that changes could also apply to South Korea.