What Governor Lee Chang-yong Said While Presiding Over His Final Monetary Policy Committee Meeting

To reporters: "No gifts? That's disappointing"
His signature humor keeps the final meeting lighthearted

"Didn't you bring a gift? That's disappointing. (laughter)"

Lee Chang-yong, Governor of the Bank of Korea, is attending the Monetary Policy Committee plenary meeting held at the Bank of Korea headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, smiling brightly. April 10, 2026. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

On the morning of April 10, as Lee Chang-yong, Governor of the Bank of Korea, entered the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) conference room on the 16th floor of the Bank of Korea, he greeted the reporters with his signature joke.

Even at the last MPC meeting he presided over before the end of his term, Governor Lee did not lose his sense of humor. The previously silent atmosphere in the room changed instantly with his joke.

Before Governor Lee entered, the conference room had been calm and subdued. As key executives had already taken their seats, among the MPC members, Vice Governor Yoo Sang-dae was the first to arrive. Carrying a thick stack of documents, Vice Governor Yoo sat down with a solemn expression and remained silent.

Next, Commissioner Shin Sung-hwan entered. Commissioner Shin also took his seat with a tense expression. As his term ends on May 12 next month, this MPC meeting was also his last. Last year, among the MPC members, he expressed the most dissenting opinions in favor of lowering the base interest rate and is considered a representative "dovish" (monetary easing preference) member. Following them, Commissioners Jang Yong-sung, Hwang Keon-il, Lee Su-hyung, and Kim Jong-hwa entered the room.

Around 8:59 a.m., Governor Lee, wearing a yellow tie, stopped in front of the reporters on his way to the chairman's seat and said, "Didn't you bring a gift?" Then, sitting down with a relaxed smile, he joked, "It's my last meeting and you didn't even bring a gift—I'm disappointed," starting the meeting in a friendly and cheerful atmosphere.

Meanwhile, at the meeting that day, the MPC kept the base interest rate unchanged at 2.50% per annum. This marks the seventh consecutive freeze since May of last year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.