KRW-USD Exchange Rate Falls into 1,440 Range...Lowest in Five Months

by Lee Kimin

Published 29 Jul.2026 17:18(KST)

As of 3:30 p.m.
KRW-USD rate drops 15.8 won to 1,446.7 won from previous day
SK hynix ADR funds flow in
Month-end dollar selling by exporters impacts market

The KRW-USD exchange rate entered the 1,440-won range, reaching its lowest level in five months. Despite net selling by foreign investors in the stock market, a weakening dollar and month-end dollar selling by export companies drove the exchange rate down sharply.

At 3:30 p.m. on July 29 at the Seoul foreign exchange market, the KRW-USD rate stood at 1,446.7 won, down 15.8 won from the previous trading day’s closing price. Based on the 3:30 p.m. quote, this is the lowest since February 27, right before the outbreak of the Middle East war, when it was 1,439.7 won.

The KRW-USD rate opened the day at 1,455 won, climbed as high as 1,457.8 won at 9:17 a.m., then dropped to 1,442.6 won by 1:43 p.m. This intraday low is the lowest since May 6, when the rate stood at 1,439.6 won.

Although foreign investors made net sales of 1.2 trillion won in the KOSPI market, KRW inflows linked to the SK hynix American Depositary Receipt (ADR) listing and the month-end dollar selling by exporters appear to have exerted downward pressure on the exchange rate.

Park Sanghyeon, an economist at iM Securities, stated, “There were no specific drivers for the won’s decline in today’s foreign exchange market. However, factors such as the SK hynix ADR investment funds inflow and month-end dollar sales likely contributed to the drop in the KRW-USD exchange rate.”

Additionally, progress in truce negotiations between the United States and Iran, and expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) may keep its rate unchanged, led to a decline in the dollar index—which measures the value of the dollar against six major currencies—by 0.077 to 101.334. This also appears to have influenced the market.

Moreover, Bank of Korea Governor Shin Hyun Song’s repeated confirmation of an additional base rate hike policy during a National Assembly Strategy and Finance Committee briefing contributed further to the won’s strength.