IMF says S. Korea has 'substantial' energy buffers despite vulnerabilities

WASHINGTON — An official at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Thursday that South Korea has "substantial" energy buffers although it has vulnerabilities stemming from energy supply disruptions caused by the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. Thomas Helbling, deputy director of the IMF's Asia-Pacific Department, made the remarks on the regional economic outlook for the Asia-Pacific, as economic concerns continued over ongoing disruptions to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for oil, gas, fertilizer and other commodities. "The (South Korean) government has been very proactive trying to mitigate the impact of the (energy) shock," the official said. "It benefits (from the fact) that it has substantial energy buffers. It has been proactive (in) encouraging other sources of energy," he added. He also pointed out South Korea's vulnerabilities in the midst of the war. "On Korea, as for the vulnerability, I think it's ... we see Korea in line with Asia as a whole. It's (an) energy importing region," he said. Concerns over the economic repercussions of the

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