The South Korean won posted the second highest appreciation against the U.S. dollar last year among currencies of G-20 nations.

A number of factors helped boost the won's value, including improved economic conditions, expectations of an interest rate hike and alleviation in North Korea-related risks.

The Bank of Korea on Thursday released foreign exchange market trends for 2017 which show the dollar trading at one-thousand-70-point-five won at the end of last year.

Compared to late 2016 when the exchange rate was over 12-hundred won, the value of the South Korean currency has jumped 12-point-eight percent. It's the steepest growth in 13 years since the 15-point-two percent expansion in 2004.

Among the 15 major currencies of G-20 nations, the euro appreciated the most against the greenback last year as it rose 14-point-one percent, followed by the Korean won.