SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's foreign currency deposits hit an all-time high in August, driven by a surge in U.S. dollar holdings, central bank data showed Thursday.
Outstanding deposits, denominated in foreign currencies and held by residents, grew 12.28 billion U.S. dollars from a month earlier to 140.62 billion dollars at the end of August, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).
It marked the largest since the central bank began compiling the data in June 2012, extending its growth streak to five months since April.
U.S. dollar-denominated deposits advanced 10.99 billion dollars to 119.91 billion dollars, renewing a record high for three straight months.
The growth in dollar deposits was boosted by big companies securing export proceeds, an influx of investor deposits into securities firms, and bargain hunting for the greenback amid the falling exchange rate.
The South Korean won versus U.S. dollar exchange rate slipped to 1,368.6 won per dollar at the end of August from 1,424.0 won tallied a month earlier.
Euro-denominated deposits expanded 1.10 billion dollars to 9.16 billion dollars, and Japanese yen deposits climbed 0.32 billion dollars to 8.94 billion dollars.
Foreign currency deposits, possessed by companies, gained 10.93 billion dollars to 123.49 billion dollars in the cited month, while the individuals-owned deposits swelled 1.35 billion dollars to 17.12 billion dollars. ■