The Bank of Korea(BOK) on Thursday retained its benchmark interest rate at one-point-25 percent.
 
The record-low rate has remained steady since the central bank slashed it by a quarter of a percentage point in June last year.
 
The BOK had indicated the freeze at a parliamentary briefing on Monday. It projected that the economy is unlikely to grow more than three percent this year even with a supplementary budget.

The central bank had hinted a possible hike this past June, forecasting a continued improvement in outbound shipments and a gradual recovery in domestic demand. But its view of the economy appears to have retreated amid recent indicators showing a slow recovery trend.