Citigroup: Bank of Korea may raise interest rates faster than expected On May 13th, Jin Wook Kim from Citigroup stated that the pace of interest rate hikes by the Bank of Korea may be faster than expected, possibly starting from July. The economist pointed out that with tax support from semiconductor companies, fiscal spending is expected to increase, and in this situation, the Bank of Korea may enter a longer than expected tightening cycle. Considering the upward risks of economic growth and inflation, Kim currently expects the Bank of Korea to raise interest rates by 25 basis points four times by the end of April 2027, exceeding the previously predicted two rate hikes by the end of October 2026. Citigroup has raised its economic growth forecast for the country in 2026 and 2027 to 3.0% and 2.8% respectively, higher than the earlier forecast of 2.9% and 2.4%. (Dongxin Society)