Topic
A period of successive Bank of Korea interest-rate increases aimed at curbing inflation, with effects felt across household debt, currency and exports.
The August hike came with staff work arguing that terms-of-trade income becomes inflation once households spend it, which puts the next decision on the consumption data rather than on the export headline.
Reality
Technology firms' AI bond issuance is one of the named drivers behind multi-decade highs in long yields. In Korea the transmission ends in roughly 720 trillion won of self-employed debt that reprices, at 1.8 trillion won per quarter point.
Reality
New Buttimok lending fell to 13.5 trillion won in 2025 from 24.8 trillion, and the average loan shrank 5.9% while Seoul's median jeonse rose 9.9%, which is what a binding eligibility test looks like from the inside.
Reality
Consensus asks Nvidia for a 16% sequential step and July core PCE for exactly 3.3%, while the Bank of Korea is expected to upgrade growth into the 3% range. Positioning now owns all three.
Reality
Won-loan delinquency hit 0.56% in June, the highest for that month since 2016. All of the deterioration sits on the corporate side, and small firms are carrying it.
Reality
Sidecars fired 78 times and circuit breakers 13 times through the 14th. The five largest asset managers' ETF desks are now selling cash flow instead of direction.
Reality