The Bank of Korea kept its key rate steady at one-point-25 percent for the eighth month in a row on Thursday.
 
The central bank is taking a wait-and-see approach as it assesses political and economic uncertainties both here and abroad.
 
Record-high household debt, which increased 141 trillion won, or 123-point-six billion dollars, last year on sustained cuts in interest rates also burdened the monetary policy committee.
 
In the U.S., the Federal Reserve is expected to hike interest rates two to three times this year, which could lead to an outflow of foreign investment from South Korea.
 
The Trump administration's economic policies also remain uncertain. An America-first trade policy could have a negative impact on South Korea's barely recovering exports.