[On-point] S. Korea's central bank holds interest rate steady: What's behind the decision?

The Bank of Korea has announced that it will hold its interest rate steady.

For more on what's behind this decision, we're joined by Professor Shin Se Don, Professor at Division of Business Economics at Sookmyung Women's University.

Professor Shin, thanks for joining us this morning.

1. The Bank of Korea has decided to keep its benchmark interest rate at 2.5%. What's behind this decision, and how will this affect the South Korean housing market?

2. Some have been saying that the central bank needs to lower the rate, when can we expect that to happen?

3. With the Trump administration threatening to impose 25% tariffs on South Korean goods starting August 1st, this is expected to significantly impact Korean companies and the economy, right?

4. The U.S. dollar fell more than 10 percent in the first half of this year --its worst start to a year in over 50 years while the Korean won is slowly strengthening against the dollar. What's behind this trend, and what does this mean for South Korea?

5. Talks on next year's minimum wage are underway, and look like being finalized today. How is this likely to affect the domestic economy?

Alright Professor Shin. Thank you so much for your insight today. We appreciate it.