[2025 Audit] Lee Changyong: "35 Billion Dollar U.S. Investment, 15-20 Billion Dollars Annually Can Be Procured Without Shocks"

Lee Changyong, Governor of the Bank of Korea, stated regarding the 35 billion dollar investment in the United States, "I informed the government that the Bank of Korea can procure between 15 billion and 20 billion dollars in foreign currency within a year without causing shocks to the foreign exchange market."

Lee Changyong, Governor of the Bank of Korea, is responding to lawmakers' questions during the National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee's audit of the Bank of Korea held at the Bank of Korea in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 20th. Photo by Yonhap News

Governor Lee made this remark on the 20th during the National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee audit of the Bank of Korea, in response to lawmakers' questions about the Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations.

Regarding the possibility of a currency swap between the Bank of Korea and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, he refrained from giving a detailed answer, saying, "It is not appropriate to comment as negotiations are ongoing." However, he added, "It is widely known that utilizing the U.S. Treasury's Exchange Stabilization Fund (ESF) in the amount of 10 billion dollars is not sufficient to resolve the issue of the 35 billion dollar investment in the United States."