South Korea's Lee says he will soon prepare to take special measures on housing, employment and debt.

China index futures at opening: CSI 300 (IF) main contract -0.54%, SSE 50 (IH) main contract -0.43%, CSI 500 (IC) main contract -0.51%, CSI 1000 (IM) main contract -0.58%.

Boston Consulting Group says rising leverage has increased firms' vulnerability; in Western Europe one in six companies now faces financial stress. BCG's report, covering about 1,700 European listed firms, identifies Spain and Portugal as most exposed—22% of firms there need business transformation. Across Europe, the share of firms requiring transformation rose to 16.2% from 14.3% a year earlier. France and the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) each have the highest share of firms under severe or restructuring pressure at 10%.