The government said on the 5th that the United States' attack on Venezuela on the 3rd (local time) and North Korea's missile launch the next day would have a limited impact on Korea's financial markets and real economy.
The government said it convened a joint economic situation review meeting of related agencies at 8:20 a.m., chaired by the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Finance and Economy. In a press release distributed after the meeting, the government said, "Under close coordination among related agencies, we plan to closely monitor future developments and trends in domestic and overseas financial markets and the real economy, and respond accordingly."
The United States attacked Venezuela on the 3rd and swiftly arrested President Nicolás Maduro on drug terrorism charges. President Trump held a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida immediately after the arrest and said, "The United States will never allow outside forces to pillage our people in the Western Hemisphere or to push us inside the hemisphere or drive us out." He added, "Until we can ensure a safe, appropriate and wise transfer of power, we will run the country (Venezuela)."
On the 5th, the first trading day after the U.S. attack on Venezuela, international oil prices edged down. As of 8:52 a.m. Korea time, U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were trading at $57.25 per barrel, down 0.12% ($0.07) from the previous session. Venezuela is the world's No. 1 oil producer, with oil reserves reaching 300 billion barrels. However, due to long-standing dictatorship and U.S. economic sanctions, its annual production is less than 10 billion barrels, so its impact on the international market is minimal.