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LG Innotek vs US Dollar/Korean Won FX Spot Rate: why the prices moved differently

Weekly · monthly · quarterly news summaries, side by side in time

LG Innotek Co Ltd (011070.KO)

US Dollar/Korean Won FX Spot Rate (USDKRW.FOREX)

Q3 2026
▲3▼1

Won Surges on Rate Hikes, Repatriation, and Global Support

  • Bank of Korea Rate Hikes The Bank of Korea raised interest rates to 3.00%, the first hike in 3.5 years, making won-denominated assets more attractive and drawing foreign capital, which strengthened the won.

    Higher rates directly increase demand for the won, driving its appreciation.

  • SK Hynix Repatriation and Exporter Dollar Sales SK Hynix converted $26.5 billion into won, and other exporters sold dollars, flooding the market with dollar supply and lifting the won sharply.

    Large-scale dollar selling increases won demand, a key force behind the rally.

  • Market Opening and Coordinated Intervention Plans to allow foreign traders direct access to the won and joint intervention with Japan and US support boosted confidence, further strengthening the currency.

    These measures increase foreign demand and signal official backing, reinforcing won strength.

  • Counterweights: Retail Outflows and NPS Hedging Halt Retail investors bought $4.6 billion in US stocks, and the National Pension Service stopped currency hedging, reducing dollar supply; the FX Stabilization Fund absorbed $20 billion to manage volatility, potentially pausing the rally.

    These factors offset the won's rise by increasing dollar demand or reducing supply, providing a balanced view.

September 2026
▼3

Won surges on tech flows, rate hikes, and exporter dollar selling

  • Tech-driven capital inflows and exporter dollar selling lift the won South Korea's won has been the best-performing Asian currency, gaining over 9% this quarter, as tech-related capital inflows and exporters converting dollar revenues (including SK Hynix's $26.5B repatriation) boosted demand for the won. This pushed USD/KRW down to 10-month lows, meaning the won strengthens and the dollar buys fewer won.

    This is the core force behind the won's sharp appreciation, directly pushing USDKRW.FOREX lower.

  • Bank of Korea rate hikes and tight policy support the won The Bank of Korea raised rates twice to 3.00% and signaled more hikes ahead, with inflation still near 3%. Higher interest rates make won-denominated assets more attractive, drawing foreign capital and strengthening the won, which pushes USD/KRW lower.

    Monetary tightening is a key fundamental driver of won strength, directly lowering USDKRW.FOREX.

  • Pension fund halts hedging and FX fund absorbs dollars, pausing won rally The National Pension Service stopped currency hedging, which reduces dollar supply and could weaken the won. Meanwhile, the FX Stabilization Fund bought $20B from SK Hynix to manage volatility. These official actions may pause or reverse the won's rally, pushing USD/KRW higher.

    This is a real counterweight to the won's strength, potentially lifting USDKRW.FOREX.

  • Coordinated intervention and stable Fed support won South Korea and Japan agreed to maintain close communication after a rare coordinated intervention to support their currencies, and a stable Federal Reserve plus AI demand are seen as supportive for the won. These factors reinforce won strength, keeping USD/KRW under pressure.

    Official intervention and external conditions add to the won's appreciation trend, lowering USDKRW.FOREX.

Latest
▼3

Won surges on tech flows, rate hikes, and exporter dollar selling

  • Tech-driven capital inflows and exporter dollar selling lift the won South Korea's won has been the best-performing Asian currency, gaining over 9% this quarter, as tech-related capital inflows and exporters converting dollar revenues (including SK Hynix's $26.5B repatriation) boosted demand for the won. This pushed USD/KRW down to 10-month lows, meaning the won strengthens and the dollar buys fewer won.

    This is the core force behind the won's sharp appreciation, directly pushing USDKRW.FOREX lower.

  • Bank of Korea rate hikes and tight policy support the won The Bank of Korea raised rates twice to 3.00% and signaled more hikes ahead, with inflation still near 3%. Higher interest rates make won-denominated assets more attractive, drawing foreign capital and strengthening the won, which pushes USD/KRW lower.

    Monetary tightening is a key fundamental driver of won strength, directly lowering USDKRW.FOREX.

  • Pension fund halts hedging and FX fund absorbs dollars, pausing won rally The National Pension Service stopped currency hedging, which reduces dollar supply and could weaken the won. Meanwhile, the FX Stabilization Fund bought $20B from SK Hynix to manage volatility. These official actions may pause or reverse the won's rally, pushing USD/KRW higher.

    This is a real counterweight to the won's strength, potentially lifting USDKRW.FOREX.

  • Coordinated intervention and stable Fed support won South Korea and Japan agreed to maintain close communication after a rare coordinated intervention to support their currencies, and a stable Federal Reserve plus AI demand are seen as supportive for the won. These factors reinforce won strength, keeping USD/KRW under pressure.

    Official intervention and external conditions add to the won's appreciation trend, lowering USDKRW.FOREX.

August 2026
▼3

Won climbs on BOK hikes, chip inflows, exporter dollar sales

  • Bank of Korea hikes twice to 3.00%, signals more South Korea's central bank raised its policy rate by 0.25% on August 27 to 3.00%, its second straight hike and highest in 19 months, and hinted at 3.25% ahead. Higher rates make won deposits more attractive, pulling foreign money in and strengthening the won, which pushes USDKRW down.

    This is the period's biggest new monetary event and directly strengthens the won.

  • Won breaks past 1,400 on chip boom and SK Hynix cash The won strengthened past 1,400 per dollar for the first time in over 10 months, helped by a semiconductor recovery and SK Hynix converting 26.5 billion dollars from a US listing back into won. That selling of dollars and buying of won pushes USDKRW lower.

    It marks a new milestone and shows real capital flows driving the won stronger.

  • South Korea pushes exporters to bring dollars home Asian central banks are shifting from burning reserves to attracting inflows, and South Korea is pressing exporters to repatriate dollar earnings. That converts foreign currency into won, adding demand for the won and pushing USDKRW down.

    It is a new policy tactic that adds steady won demand beyond rate hikes.

  • Retail investors buy US stocks, a counterweight to won strength In July, South Korean retail investors bought 4.6 billion dollars of US stocks, the most in six months, as the domestic market slumped. That sends money abroad and can weaken the won, but it was offset by SK Hynix's repatriation, so the net effect on USDKRW is mixed.

    It is the main real counterweight that could slow or reverse the won's rise.

▼3

Won climbs on BOK hikes, chip inflows, exporter dollar sales

  • Bank of Korea hikes twice to 3.00%, signals more South Korea's central bank raised its policy rate by 0.25% on August 27 to 3.00%, its second straight hike and highest in 19 months, and hinted at 3.25% ahead. Higher rates make won deposits more attractive, pulling foreign money in and strengthening the won, which pushes USDKRW down.

    This is the period's biggest new monetary event and directly strengthens the won.

  • Won breaks past 1,400 on chip boom and SK Hynix cash The won strengthened past 1,400 per dollar for the first time in over 10 months, helped by a semiconductor recovery and SK Hynix converting 26.5 billion dollars from a US listing back into won. That selling of dollars and buying of won pushes USDKRW lower.

    It marks a new milestone and shows real capital flows driving the won stronger.

  • South Korea pushes exporters to bring dollars home Asian central banks are shifting from burning reserves to attracting inflows, and South Korea is pressing exporters to repatriate dollar earnings. That converts foreign currency into won, adding demand for the won and pushing USDKRW down.

    It is a new policy tactic that adds steady won demand beyond rate hikes.

  • Retail investors buy US stocks, a counterweight to won strength In July, South Korean retail investors bought 4.6 billion dollars of US stocks, the most in six months, as the domestic market slumped. That sends money abroad and can weaken the won, but it was offset by SK Hynix's repatriation, so the net effect on USDKRW is mixed.

    It is the main real counterweight that could slow or reverse the won's rise.

July 2026
▲4

Won surges on rate hike, dollar sales, and intervention

  • Bank of Korea's first rate hike in 3.5 years The Bank of Korea raised its policy rate to 2.75%, the first hike in 3.5 years. Higher rates make won-denominated assets more attractive, drawing foreign capital and strengthening the won.

    This is a major new monetary policy shift that directly boosted the won.

  • Massive dollar sales from SK Hynix and exporters SK Hynix's $7bn share sale and chip/shipbuilding exporters sold dollars, increasing won demand. This one-off supply of dollars helped push the won higher.

    Large dollar sales are a key new flow that strengthened the won.

  • Plans to open won trading to foreigners and Goldman's bullish call Plans to open won trading to foreigners from 2027 and Goldman Sachs' forecast of an AI-driven current account surplus near $300bn boosted confidence in the won.

    These new reform and forecast factors improved sentiment and attracted capital.

  • Coordinated intervention with Japan and US support Rare coordinated intervention with Japan and US support weakened the dollar against the won. However, authorities warned won weakness was 'excessive', hinting discomfort with rapid moves.

    Intervention was a direct new force driving the won higher, though with caveats.

▼4

Won surges on reforms, AI-driven surplus, and coordinated intervention

  • South Korea to ease won trading rules from 2027 South Korea will let foreigners trade the won freely among themselves from 2027, cutting red tape and opening the currency to more global money. More foreign demand for won strengthens the won, pushing USDKRW down.

    This regulatory shift increases long-term demand for the won, a key new force behind USDKRW's move.

  • Goldman Sachs bullish on won, sees AI-driven surplus doubling Goldman Sachs is bullish on the won, forecasting South Korea's current account surplus will nearly double to about $300 billion this year thanks to AI investment. A bigger surplus means more dollars flowing in, which supports the won and pushes USDKRW lower.

    This explains the fundamental demand for won from AI-driven exports and investment, a new driver this period.

  • Won hits four-month high on strong data and rate-hike bets The won extended gains, nearing a four-month high and heading for a 6.5% monthly rally, as strong South Korean economic data and expectations of further Bank of Korea rate hikes offset a stock market selloff. Higher rates and solid growth attract foreign money, strengthening the won and pushing USDKRW down.

    This shows the won's broad rally driven by domestic strength, a new development this period.

  • South Korea joins Japan in rare coordinated intervention South Korea and Japan both bought their currencies on Thursday, with U.S. support, in a rare joint move. South Korea sold dollars to prop up the won, which jumped to its strongest since October 2025. This direct dollar-selling strengthens the won and pushes USDKRW down.

    This is a major new event that directly and immediately strengthened the won, a key driver of USDKRW's move.

▼4

Korean Won Strengthens on Rate Hike and Big Dollar Sales

  • Bank of Korea raises rates to defend won The Bank of Korea raised its policy rate to 2.75%, the first hike in three and a half years, to stabilize the weakening won. Higher rates make Korean assets more attractive, drawing foreign money and strengthening the won, which pushes USDKRW lower.

    This is a major new monetary policy shift that directly supports the won and answers why USDKRW is falling.

  • SK Hynix dollar sale boosts won SK Hynix's US share sale raised $7 billion, with proceeds converted into won around July 15. This large dollar-selling flow increased demand for the won, sending USDKRW to a one-month low near 1,498.

    A concrete, large capital flow that directly increased won demand and pushed USDKRW down.

  • Chip and shipbuilding firms sell dollars South Korea's Finance Ministry said major semiconductor and shipbuilding companies are selling large amounts of dollars, improving foreign exchange supply. This structural shift, backed by a record trade surplus, supports the won and weighs on USDKRW.

    Official confirmation of a broad, structural dollar-selling trend that strengthens the won.

  • Authorities push back against won weakness South Korean officials said the won's weakness is excessive and not justified by strong fundamentals, hinting at intervention. Suspected intervention near 1,550 and official comments have helped the won recover, pushing USDKRW lower.

    Shows official resistance to further won weakness, a key force capping USDKRW.