The Bank of Korea(BOK) maintained the benchmark rate at one-point-five percent for the eleventh straight month on Thursday.

BOK Governor Lee Ju-yeol has hinted at monetary tightening in the face of high household debt, but the slow economy and poor job growth likely stayed his decision.

Monthly job growth, which hovered around 300-thousand last year, has remained below 100-thousand since February. Exports remain robust, but is heavily dependent on semiconductors while facility investment has fallen for six straight months. 

In its revised economic outlook set to be announced later in the day, the central bank will reportedly downgrade its 2018 growth forecast for South Korea by point-one or point-two percentage point from the current two-point-nine percent.