SINGAPORE: South Korea's won hit a nine-month low on Wednesday, leading slides in emerging Asian currencies, as the dollar resumed appreciation after a victory by Republicans in the US mid-term elections raised hopes for an end to political gridlock.
The won ended the local trade down 0.7 percent at 1,083.6 per dollar, its weakest since Feb. 4, as the yen touched a seven-year low against the dollar.
Thailand's baht fell as much as 0.3 percent to 32.76 per dollar, its lowest since June 3.
The central bank kept its policy interest rate unchanged at 2.0 percent as expected, but said it still has room to reduce borrowing costs if needed, lowering growth forecasts.
The Malaysian ringgit lost 0.3 percent to 3.3410 to the greenback, its weakest since Feb. 11. Offshore funds including real money accounts sold the currency in non-deliverable forwards markets, traders said.
Singapore's dollar slid as much as 0.4 percent to 1.2937 against the US dollar, its weakest since June 2012.
The Indonesian rupiah fell as third-quarter economic growth hit a five-year low. The Philippine peso turned weaker.
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