美, 韓 '환율 관찰대상국' 유지…"현상황 유지 시 다음엔 제외"<br /><br />The U.S. has just released a report on currencies, and South Korea is on the watch list as a possible currency manipulator,... which means the U.S. is going to keep a close eye on South Korea's currency practices and macroeconomic policies. <br />Our Ko Roon-hee has this report. <br />The Trump administration has decided to keep South Korea on its monitoring list for currency manipulation. <br />According to the Treasury Department's report released on Tuesday, nine countries, including China, are on the monitoring list. <br />The previous report had six nations on the watch list. <br />The report aims to identify potentially unfair currency practices... which could harm American workers and businesses. <br />Countries that meet two of the three criteria are placed on the watch list. <br /> The revised criteria include... a trade surplus of at least 20-billion U.S. dollars with the U.S., a current account surplus that is at least 2-percent of GDP, and persistent intervention in foreign exchange markets. <br />Although Korea met only one of the criteria this time, news reports say the country was still on the list…because Seoul met two of the three criteria last October. <br />Generally, the U.S. needs to see improvements for at least a year before it removes countries from the watch list. <br />The Treasury Department welcomed Korea's public report in March on its foreign exchange intervention.<br />The report emphasized it would remove South Korea from the watch list if conditions remain the same at the time of its next report.<br />Washington has not designated a major trade country a currency manipulator since 1994. <br />If a country is labeled as a currency manipulator..., this could lead to trade sanctions imposed by the U.S.<br />The Trump administration's decision not to label China a currency manipulator this time... has prevented trade tensions from escalating.<br />However, the report says it will carefully monitor developments surrounding the exchange rate issue... saying that the Renminbi depreciated by 3-point-8 percent against the dollar during the second half of 2018.<br />Ko Roon-hee, Arirang News. <br />
