8th in the world, down $1.4 billion in a month
[서울파이낸스 박성준 기자] Last month, Korea’s foreign currency reserves decreased slightly after breaking the record-high record.
According to the’exchange reserves at the end of March 2021′ released by the Bank of Korea on the 5th, Korea’s foreign exchange reserves last month were $46.13 billion, a decrease of $1.43 billion from the end of the previous month ($47.76 billion). Korea’s foreign exchange reserves set record-high records for seven consecutive months from the end of June to the end of December of last year, and then this year △Decrease in January ($370 million ↓) △ Increase in February ($4.83 billion ↑) △ It is showing fluctuations and fluctuations, recording a decline in March ($1.43 billion ↓).
The decline in foreign currency reserves last month was due to a decrease in the translation amount of foreign currency assets denominated in other currencies in the US dollar due to the strong US dollar. At the end of last month, the US dollar index, calculated for six major currencies, recorded 93.30, up 3.5% from the previous month (90.13). The dollar was strong against the euro, yen and pound. Compared to the dollar, the euro weakened 3.8%, the yen and the Australian dollar weakened 3.7% and 3.5%, respectively.
Among the foreign exchange reserves, securities (government bonds, government agency bonds, corporate bonds, asset-backed securities, etc.) amounted to $4,05.95 billion (91%), a decrease of $3.68 billion from the previous month. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) position was $4.6 billion (1%), down $210 million from the previous month, and the IMF special drawing right, SDR, also fell by $3.51 billion (0.8%), $70 million. On the other hand, the deposit amounted to $2.28 billion (6.1%), an increase of $2.54 billion. Gold was $4.79 billion (1.1%), the same as the previous month.
Meanwhile, as of the end of February, Korea’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to USD 4476 billion, ranking 8th in the world, up one notch from the previous month. By the amount of foreign exchange reserves, △China $3.25 trillion △Japan $1,379.4 billion △Switzerland $1,749 billion △Russia $583 billion △Taiwan $543.3 billion △Hong Kong $497.5 billion.
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