South Korea's central bank is expected to hold the seven-day repurchase rate steady at 2.50% at its rate-setting meeting on Thursday, 22 out of the 23 economists projected in a Bloomberg survey.
The economist who did not agree with a steady-rate policy this time expects a quarter-point hike, Bloomberg said in a Wednesday report.
The central bank's first dot plot, introduced in February under former Governor Rhee Chang-yong, showed that policymakers expected rates to remain steady at 2.5% over the next six months.
Investors are now watching for any upward shift in the median outlook under the new Governor Shin Hyun Song and newly appointed board member Kim Jin Ill. Ill's appointment is viewed as tilting the board toward a more hawkish stance after the exit of dovish member Shin Sung-hwan, the report said.
The Bank of Korea has already warned that consumer prices could rise well above the 2.2% forecast issued in February, with Governor Shin cautioning that higher oil prices and a weaker currency may add to price pressures while cutting growth short, Bloomberg reported.
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