Ministry of Finance and Economy

The Consumer Price Index was 120.43 (2020=100) in September 2026. The index increased 0.3 percent from the preceding month and rose 2.9 percent from the same month of the previous year. Please refer to the attached pdf for the full report.

  The Ministry of Finance and Economy plans to issue Korea Treasury Bonds worth approximately 12,000 billion won in October 2026 through competitive bidding.   Auction Schedule, October 2026 (Unit: KRW billion) Name Auction Notice Auction Date Settlement Date Issue Date Type Volume 2Y KTB 03625-2809 (26-7) October 1 October 6 October 8 September 10, 2026 F1 2,100 3Y KTB 03500-2906 (26-5) October 6 October 12 October 13 June 10, 2026 F 2,400 5Y KTB 04125-3109 (26-9) October 21 October 26 October 27 September 10, 2026 F 2,200 10Y KTB 04250-3606 (26-6) October 14 October 19 October 20 June 10, 2026 F 2,100 KTBi 01125-3606 (26-4) October 2 October 8 October 12 June 10, 2026 F 100 20Y KTB 04500-4609 (26-10) October 22 October 27 October 28 September 10, 2026 F 700 30Y KTB 04500-5609 (26-8) October 1 October 7 October 8 September 10, 2026 F 1,800 50Y KTB 04625-7609 (26-11) October 13 October 16 October 19 September 10, 2026 F 600 Conversion Offer Conventional October 15 October 20 October 22 September 10, 2026 F 500   FXB 00000-2710 (26-10) October 20 October 23 October 26 October 10, 2026 N/A 1,000 1.       Fungible issue   * Under a fungible issue system, new KTBs issued within a specified period (six-month period for 2Y, 3Y, 5Y, 10Y and 30Y KTB, one-year period for 20Y KTB, and two-year period for KTBi and 50Y KTB) are regarded as the same KTB issue.     1) Non-competitive bids option I   For retail investors, KTBs worth 2,280 billion won (no more than 20% of the offered amount in the auction excluding 50Y KTBs) will be allocated first at the highest accepted bid rate.   2) Non-competitive bids option II   A non-competitive purchasing option II is granted to primary dealers (PD) whereby PDs can make additional purchases of 5-30%* of the accepted bid amount within three business days after the auction.   * Up to 20%p of the option is granted to the top-performing PDs, 15%p to the 2nd best-performing PDs, 10%p to the 3rd best-performing PDs, and 5%p to the rest, according to their market-making performances for the last six months. MOEF will grant additional 5-10%p to best performing PDs in the monthly evaluation.   3) Non-competitive bids option III   KTB STRIPS* are supplied on the third business day after the auctions, 310 billion won for 3Y, 5Y, and 10Y KTBs, 360 billion won for 30Y KTBs, and 160 billion won for 20Y KTBs. PDs that have obtained the right to purchase these KTB STRIPS can make purchases of up to 25 billion won.   ＊Non-competitive option Ⅵ Details have yet to be decided. If non-competitive option Ⅵ needs to be implemented, the Ministry will make an announcement on October 22 with a detailed plan.   4) Buyback   Date KTBs to be purchased Amount October 21 10:40-11:00 am   KTB 03250-2706 (24-4) KTB 02250-2709 (25-6)  KTB 02875-2712 (24-12) KTB 02250-2806 (25-4) KTB 03500-2809 (23-6) KTB 03375-3206 (22-5)  KTB 04250-3212 (22-14)  KTB 04125-3312 (23-11)   KRW 3,500 billion * Further details will be provided on October 16 through the BOK website.   5) Conversion offer   Date KTBs to be issued KTBs to be purchased Amount October 20 10:40-11:00 am 30Y KTB 04500-5609 (26-8) (Maturing on September 10, 2056)   KTB 03000-4212 (12-5) KTB 01875-5103 (21-2) KTB 03625-5309 (23-7) KTB 03250-5403 (24-2) KTB 02750-5409 (24-8)   KRW 500 billion * Further details will be provided on October 15 through the BOK website.  

On September 29, Deputy Minister for International Affairs at the Ministry of Finance and Economy (MOFE) Moon Ji Sung convened the second meeting of the Global Core Investor Consultation via videoconference. He briefed participants on recent reforms to the foreign exchange (FX) and capital markets and heard from investors about their investment experiences and challenges.   The meeting brought together major global asset managers, including BlackRock, Amundi, Northern Trust and State Street, as well as the Asia Securities Industry & Financial Markets Association (ASIFMA) and the Global Foreign Exchange Division (GFXD). Relevant Korean authorities and institutions also participated, including MOFE, the Financial Services Commission (FSC), the Bank of Korea (BOK), the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), the Korea Exchange (KRX) and the Korea Securities Depository (KSD).   The government first briefed investors on recent progress in FX and capital market reforms, including ❶ the pilot operation of the International KRW Settlement Network; ➋ the publication and distribution of FAQs addressing key questions on recent FX reforms; ❸ measures to improve settlement liquidity for foreign securities firms, including the easing of restrictions on their overseas borrowing; ❹ improvements to the KSD settlement facilitation payment system; and ➎ the launch of the KRX After-market (16:00-20:00).   Participating investors noted that measures such as easing restrictions on overseas borrowing by foreign securities firms would make securities settlement and trading more convenient for foreign investors. They also positively assessed the government’s continued efforts to listen to market feedback and actively incorporate it into the reform process. In addition, they suggested that the government continue to monitor the detailed operation and actual use of the newly introduced measures to ensure that they function smoothly in the investment process.   [Progress on Major FX and Capital Market Reforms] Major Reform Measures Details   1. Pilot Operation of the “International KRW Settlement Network” (from Sep. 21)   ▸ Completed revisions to relevant regulations, including registration requirements and   procedures for Registered Foreign Institutions for KRW Business (RFI-Ks), which conduct KRW transactions overseas. ▸ Six overseas branches of Korean banks, including KB Kookmin, Woori, Hana and Shinhan, have registered as RFI-Ks* and are conducting KRW transactions through    the International KRW Settlement Network.    * Additional participation by foreign financial institutions and others is expected before full-scale operation begins in January 2027.     2. Publication of FAQs on FX Reforms (Sep. 29)   ▸ Compiled and distributed 38 FAQs addressing key questions from overseas investors and financial institutions regarding FX reforms, with additional FAQs and updates to follow.       3. Easing of Restrictions on Overseas Borrowing by Foreign Securities Firms (Q4 2026)   ▸ (Domestic branches) Permit overseas borrowing in KRW and foreign currencies  (currently not permitted).   ▸ (Domestic subsidiaries) Raise the threshold for KRW borrowing subject to prior reporting to MOFE.*     * Currently, prior reporting to MOFE is required when cumulative annual borrowing exceeds USD 50 million  or KRW 1 billion; amounts below the threshold are subject to reporting to banks.   4. Improvements to the KSD Settlement Facilitation Payment System   ▸ Allow payments to be made in securities instead of cash (from Sep. 29); securities scheduled to be received through on-exchange settlement on the same day will also be recognized as collateral (Oct. 2026).   ▸ Guidelines were issued to enable participants to estimate payment amounts in advance (Aug. 26).   5. Launch of the KRX After-market   ▸ Since September 14, the KRX has extended stock trading hours from 16:00 to 20:00, expanding the hours during which domestic and foreign investors can trade Korean securities.   Meanwhile, global investors also shared a range of views on shortening the equity settlement cycle to T+1. They suggested that any move toward a shorter settlement cycle should proceed only after sufficient preparation and pilot testing. The government stated that it would maintain close communication with both domestic and foreign market participants as it moves forward with the initiative.   Based on the feedback raised by investors, the relevant authorities and institutions agreed to continue monitoring and addressing difficulties encountered by investors in the operation of the new measures. Going forward, the government plans to maintain the Global Core Investor Consultation as a regular channel of communication with global investors, while further improving investor access to the market and making the benefits of the reforms more tangible to investors. Please refer to the attached files.