By
For the October-December quarter, the won strengthened by 3.8 percent against the dollar, the biggest quarterly percentage gain since the third quarter of 2010, Reuters data showed.
By the close of Friday's local session, the won's value against the yen -- quoted from the dollar/won and dollar/yen rates -- was up 21.6 percent on the year, as it was headed for the fastest annual gain since 1998, Reuters data showed.
The won's appreciation against the yen has been accelerating in recent weeks as Japan's new Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, gears up for aggressive monetary policy easing to weaken the yen and boost the country's exports.