South Korea's Currency Falls to 17-Year Weak Point; Banks Told to Stop Speculation

South Korea's won currency hit its weakest point since 2009 this month, shedding over 8% in value last year. The country's financial regulators ordered banks to tighten controls on speculative trading—bets that the currency will fall further. For an export-reliant economy, a weak won makes imports costlier and complicates interest-rate policy.