The Bank of Korea will hold its rate-setting meeting a total of eight times in 2023, with the year's first gathering of monetary policymakers set for Jan. 13, the central bank said Friday.

The meeting will also be held Feb. 23, April 13, May 25, July 13, Aug. 24, Oct. 19 and Nov. 30, according to the schedule uploaded on the website of the BOK.

The BOK's rate-setting meeting draws keen attention as it determines the level of its key policy rate that serves as a benchmark for market rates.

The central bank has hiked the interest rate by a combined 2.5 percentage points since August last year to bring inflation under control, including the second-ever big-step increase of 50 basis points early this month.

The BOK is widely expected to deliver another rate hike when it holds its last meeting of this year next month. (Yonhap)