South Korea’s central bank has lowered its key policy rate and says the country’s economy will grow at a slower pace than it initially anticipated.

South Korea's central bank cut policy interest rates for a second straight meeting in a surprise move as the economy stalled and inflation slowed more rapidly than policymakers predicted. The Bank of Korea (BOK) lowered its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point to 3.

The Bank of Korea (BOK) lowered its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point to 3.00% at its monetary policy review, an outcome only four of 38 economists polled by Reuters foresaw. All others expected the bank to keep rates unchanged.