US rate path uncertain amid inflation, Mideast tension: finance ministry

The path of key interest rates in the United States appears to remain uncertain due to persistent inflation and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, the finance ministry said Thursday. First Vice Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il chaired discussions with officials from financial authorities, including the Bank of Korea, after the US central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at a range of 3.5-3.75 percent overnight. The decision marked the fifth consecutive pause, leaving the gap