The Bank of Korea said its October rate decision remains open after raising the base rate from 2.50% to 3.00% through consecutive increases in July and August. A renewed rise in oil prices, including a brief move above $100 a barrel, is adding pressure toward another hike by increasing inflation risks, but officials said the development does not by itself justify an immediate move. The BOK will review incoming data, including persistent above-target inflation, household debt, Seoul metropolitan housing risks, exchange-rate volatility and whether semiconductor-led export income spreads into domestic demand. Officials said renewed Middle East tensions appear to pose a greater risk to inflation than to growth, while financial imbalances require housing-supply and macroprudential measures alongside interest-rate policy. First-half nominal growth reached 22%, although its wider effects may emerge with a lag, and the BOK said it primarily follows domestic conditions rather than mechanically tracking the U.S. Federal Reserve.