South Korea's money supply growth slightly picks up in June

The on-year growth of South Korea's money supply slightly picked up in June from the previous month on the government's fiscal spending and the current account surplus, the central bank said Wednesday. South Korea's M2, a narrow measure of the money supply, rose 4.9% to 1,884.2 trillion won (US$1.7 trillion) in June from a year earlier, slightly quickening from a 4.8% on-year gain in May, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). On a seasonally adjusted basis, the country's M2 grew 0.6% in June from the previous month, accelerating from a 0.1% on-month gain in May. The M2 covers currency in circulation and all types of deposits with a maturity of less than two years at lenders and non-banking financial institutions, excluding those held by insurers and brokerage houses, South Korean news agency (Yonhap) reported. The BOK said in a separate statement that the growth of South Korea's M2 is estimated to have remained around 5% in July on the surplus run of the current account and growing bank lending. South Korea's liquidity aggregate, the broadest measure of the money supply, grew 6.8$ in June from a year earlier, slowing from a 7.3% on-year gain in the previous month, it added. The liquidity aggregate covers currency in circulation and all types of deposits at financial institutions, and state and corporate bonds. The data came one day before the BOK is scheduled to hold their monthly rate-setting session. Analysts said that the BOK is likely to freeze the key rate at 2.5% for the third straight month in August.