Chang Yong Lee, governor of the Bank of Korea, said in an interview with the British weekly magazine, the Economist, on the 12th (local time) that he initially thought the video was a deepfake concerning the declaration of martial law.
In this interview, Governor Lee noted that when President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on the 3rd, he thought the broadcasting station had been hacked.
He further expressed that the declaration and withdrawal of martial law by President Yoon and the subsequent public statement were "unnecessary and an unimaginable mistake," and described it as a "bewildering event."
Regarding the impact on the Korean economy, he stated, "There is a mechanism where economic issues are addressed independently of political issues," and said he believes the current situation will not greatly affect the economy.
Previously, in an interview with Bloomberg TV, Governor Lee mentioned, "Considering South Korea's strong market fundamentals and mature democracy, I believe politics and the economy can be separated."
Meanwhile, on the 13th, Governor Lee held a macroeconomic and financial issues meeting (F4 meeting) with Choi Sang Mok, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance, Kim Byung Hwan, chairman of the Financial Services Commission, and Lee Bok Hyeon, head of the Financial Supervisory Service, to review the financial and foreign exchange markets.
The participants of the meeting emphasized that they are "closely monitoring the political situation toward the end of this week" and that "additional market stabilization measures will be promptly implemented in case of excessive volatility."