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South Korea vice finance minister asks for calm in markets in face of U.S. election outcome

South Korea Vice Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok speaks during an interview with Reuters in Seoul, South Korea, June 16, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's vice minister asked market participants to act in a calm manner regarding the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, in opening remarks ahead of a meeting with government, central bank and other finance-related officials on Wednesday. "Excessive volatility in the markets is not desirable," said Vice Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok. "We will take action to curb volatility if necessary." Choi added that foreign exchange rates were bound to be impacted by the result of the U.S. election, regardless of who became president. Heightened trade protectionism after the outcome of the election would be a potential downside risk to the global economy's recovery, he said. South Korea's government and other financial bodies like the central bank have been beefing up market monitoring ahead of the U.S. election. (Reporting by Christine Kim, editing by G Crosse and Dan Grebler)