▲ This photo, taken Aug. 24, 2026, shows the dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean won hit a near 13-month high against the U.S. dollar Monday, as exporters continued to offload greenback holdings amid growing concerns about U.S. debts.

The won was quoted at 1,382.4 won per dollar at 3:30 p.m., up 4.1 won from the close of the previous stock trading day. It marked the strongest level since July 30, 2025.

The won opened at 1,387 won per dollar and rose to as high as 1,376.5 won at one point.

The won's advance came as the U.S. Treasury Department decided to double its planned purchase of long-term bonds, with the U.S. state debt passing a record US$40 trillion.

Moon Jeong-hee, an economist at KB Kookmin Bank, said exporters appeared to have sold more dollars as the won advanced past the level of 1,400 per dollar last week.

Foreigners sold a net 3.7 trillion won (US$2.67 billion) worth of local stocks during the latest trading session, with the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index slipping 3.12 percent to close at 6,696.96.

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