SEOUL, June 16 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's money supply grew for a sixth consecutive month amid rising inflationary pressure, central bank data showed Tuesday.

The won (L) and U.S. dollar banknotes are pictured in Seoul, South Korea, Sept. 22, 2022. (File photo: Xinhua)

The seasonally-adjusted M2, called broad money, rose 0.6 percent from a month earlier to 4,153.9 trillion won (2.74 trillion U.S. dollars) in April, keeping an upward trend since November 2025, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).

Inflationary pressure increased due to the Middle East conflict, raising expectations for the central bank's policy rate hikes.

The BOK left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.50 percent after lowering it by 25 basis points in February and May 2025.

The M1, or narrow money, gained 0.4 percent in April on a monthly basis, lower than an increase of 0.7 percent in the previous month.

The M1 refers to currency in circulation, demand deposits and transferable savings deposits equivalent to cash. The M2 adds money market funds, time deposits and financial products that mature in less than two years.

The liquidity of financial institutions, called Lf, swelled 0.5 percent in the cited month, while the liquidity aggregate, the broadest measure of money supply, expanded 1.8 percent.

The Lf includes financial products with a maturity of over two years and liquidity at insurers and brokerages along with M2. The liquidity aggregate adds state and corporate bonds to the Lf.