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# Dollar-Won Exchange Rate Rises Above 1,370 on Robust U.S. Employment Data and ECB’s Cautious Approach

SEOUL—The dollar-won exchange rate climbed back above the critical 1,370 threshold during overnight trading, driven by stronger-than-expected U.S. employment data. The upward pressure on the U.S. dollar was partially offset by a recovery in the euro, stemming from the European Central Bank’s (ECB) caution over future rate cuts.

As of 2:00 a.m. Korea Standard Time (Aug. 25), the dollar-won exchange rate closed at 1,371.30, reflecting a decrease of 8.50 won from the previous day’s closing price in Seoul’s onshore market. However, compared to Thursday’s session close of 1,367.20 won (spanning 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.), the rate increased by 4.10 won.

The exchange rate entered New York trading near the 1,370 level and peaked at 1,373.50 following the release of strong U.S. labor market data. It briefly dipped below the 1,370 mark after the ECB’s policy announcement but ultimately rebounded later in the overnight session.

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# U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Hit Lowest Level in Four Months

According to the U.S. Labor Department, initial jobless claims for the week ending Aug. 19 fell by 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 217,000—reaching their lowest level since mid-April. This figure exceeded market expectations, which had projected an uptick to 227,000, and extended a six-week streak of declining claims.

In his analysis, Lou Crandall, chief economist at Wrightson ICAP, remarked: “While we anticipate challenges for the labor market in the coming months, the weekly jobless claims data have provided consistent reassurance during the summer months.”

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# ECB Pauses Interest Rates for the First Time Since July 2022

In a notable policy shift, the European Central Bank decided to maintain its key deposit rate at 2.00% following its latest monetary policy meeting. This marked the first rate pause since July 2022. Speaking at a press briefing, ECB President Christine Lagarde expressed confidence that inflation is progressing toward the bank’s 2% target, reducing the urgency for additional monetary easing.

“We are in a good position to wait and observe,” Lagarde stated, offering limited guidance on the potential direction of future rate adjustments.

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# U.S. Dollar Index and Global Forex Market Trends

The U.S. Dollar Index, which tracks the performance of the dollar against six major global currencies, briefly declined to 97.1 after Lagarde’s comments but rebounded to recover lost ground.

As of 2:59 a.m., key exchange rates remained as follows: the dollar-yen pair stood at 146.814 yen, while the euro-dollar exchange rate was $1.17690. The offshore dollar-yuan rate was recorded at 7.1521 yuan.

In other cross-currency exchange rates, the yen-won rate was quoted at 931.19 won per 100 yen, while the yuan-won rate stood at 191.15 won.

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# Dollar-Won Trading: Intraday Volatility and Market Volume

During the overnight session, the dollar-won exchange rate experienced an intraday high of 1,375.20 and a low of 1,365.10, marking a total fluctuation range of 10.10 won.

Spot foreign exchange trading volumes reached $24.857 billion during the session, with transactions tracked by Seoul Money Brokerage Services and Korea Money Brokerage.

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