[Survey: Bank of Korea Expected to Keep Rates Unchanged on May 28, Likely to Hike Starting Q3] According to a report by Jinse Finance, a Reuters survey of economists on May 26 indicated that the Bank of Korea is expected to keep its key policy rate unchanged during Thursday's rate review meeting. Most economists now anticipate that, due to heightened inflationary pressures from the Iran war, the Bank of Korea will raise rates once or multiple times before the end of December. The survey, conducted by Reuters between May 19 and May 25 among 32 economists, showed that apart from two predicting a rate hike, all other respondents forecast that the Bank of Korea will maintain its benchmark rate at 2.50% on May 28. Over 70% (21 out of 29 respondents) predicted at least one rate hike by the end of September, a stark contrast to last month's survey, where only three out of 30 economists expected a 0.25 percentage point hike. This shift is attributed to inflation surpassing the central bank's 2.0% target, with April's inflation rate reaching 2.6%, the highest in nearly two years. Additionally, tensions in the Middle East have kept oil prices above $100 per barrel for almost three consecutive months.