[Institution: Bank of Korea Highly Likely to Raise Interest Rates This Week, Potentially Marking the Start of a Tightening Cycle] Odaily Planet Daily News – According to BigGo Finance, financial industry insiders revealed that the market widely expects the Bank of Korea to raise interest rates by 25 basis points at its meeting this Thursday, increasing the benchmark rate from 2.50% to 2.75%. This would be the first rate hike since January 2023, marking a gap of approximately three and a half years, and is highly likely to signal the start of a tightening cycle. Bond market experts predict further rate hikes within this year, with the benchmark rate expected to reach 3.00% by the end of the year and rise to 3.25% in the first half of next year. This suggests that borrowers should prepare for at least a year of upward interest rate trends. (Jin10)