South Korea Agrees to Share Monthly FX Intervention Data With US

South Korea agreed to provide the US with monthly data on foreign-exchange interventions and publish the annual currency composition of its reserves, under a new accord aimed at boosting transparency while reaffirming commitments to avoid currency manipulation.

The US Treasury Department and South Korean Finance Ministry said the deal was reached alongside ongoing tariff talks, according to a joint statement Wednesday, emphasizing that any intervention should be limited to curbing excessive volatility or disorderly market moves. The two sides started negotiations in April. The statement did not mention an implementation timeline.

Korea will provide the US Treasury with monthly intervention data on a confidential basis, and release the annual currency composition of its reserves aside from publicly disclosing market stabilization amount every quarter. It will continue publishing monthly data on reserves and forward positions in line with IMF requirements.

South Korean media reported in April that a senior FX official had joined the trade delegation negotiating with the US. The Treasury Department kept South Korea on a monitoring list in its a semiannual foreign-exchange released in June and called for curbing currency intervention.

The agreement could boost the chances of Korea being removed from the US monitoring list as the two sides are in intense negotiations to finalize a trade deal reached in July, under which Seoul pledged $350 billion in investments.

South Korea’s finance ministry said the new pact aligns with the country’s principle of letting the won be market-driven and intervening only rarely, while highlighting the importance of communication and trust with the US to promote FX market stability.