1 Month USD/KRW Tests Sub 1370 Amid Further Global Equity Gains

1 month USD/KRW tested support sub 1370 in Tuesday US trade. Broader USD sentiment was softer post the US PMI miss and lower yield backdrop. The 1 month NDF finished up near 1371.5, a won gain of close to 0.50% and offsetting all of Monday's weakness. Note onshore spot finished up yesterday at 1378.35.

• Focus will be on whether we can break sub 1370 and sustain it today. The 20-day EMA sits close to 1364.50, while earlier April highs rest near 1355.
• The tech equity mood continued to recover, with the SOX gaining a further 2.21% (post Monday's 1.74% gain), while the MSCI IT rose 1.79%, outperforming broader equity gains. An upbeat revenue forecast from Texas Instruments (announced late in the US session), may aid Asian chip names today.
• To recap, the Kospi was down 0.24% yesterday, while offshore investors sold a modest $53mn of local shares.
• We have already had the April consumer sentiment index print, which was unchanged. Inflation expectations edged slightly lower, but the BoK may need to see more evidence of improvement before easing policy or shifting to a strong easing bias.