South Korea June CPI rose 3.2% YoY, the fastest pace since Dec 2023 and in line with economists' forecasts. Core inflation excluding volatile food and energy held at 2.5%, signalling persistent underlying price pressures. The print reinforces expectations that the Bank of Korea will remain hawkish ahead of its July 16 policy meeting; policymakers cite inflation, strong growth, a weaker won and surging house prices as increasingly pointing to the need to tighten monetary policy.