(LEAD) S. Korea's currency to gain in H2, survey shows

(ATTN: CORRECTS time element in para 3)
SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Yonhap) -- More than half of all major companies in South Korea
expect the nation's currency to rise moderately in the second-half of this year
from last year's close amid signs the economy is rebounding, a survey showed
Thursday.

The Federation of Korean Industries said 58.1 percent of the 600 companies
surveyed predicted that the won will swing between 1,200 and 1,300 against the
U.S. dollar, compared with last year's close of 1,348.
Another 33.1 percent forecast an exchange rate of 1,100-1,200 per dollar for the
July-December period, the federation said in a statement.
Separately, about 63 percent of surveyed companies thought the government should
intervene in the foreign exchange market to stabilize the exchange rate,
according to the statement.
The won plunged 26 percent last year, marking the worst performance since 1997,
when the International Monetary Fund bailed out the South Korean government.
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