S.Korea c.bank downbeat on 2008 GDP growth - paper

SEOUL, March 24 (Reuters) - South Korea's central bank is likely to informally lower its forecast for this year's economic growth, a local newspaper quoted an unnamed official at the Bank of Korea as saying on Monday.

The Korea Economic Daily reported in an early Tuesday edition the Bank of Korea would cut this year's gross domestic product (GDP) forecast to 4.5 percent growth from 4.7 percent set in December last year due to firmer oil prices and the won's <KRW=> slump.

"When taking into account oil prices and a sharp drop in the won, this year's GDP growth is expected to slow to 4.5 percent," the newspaper quoted the official as saying.

Officials at the Bank of Korea could not confirm the report.

The newspaper said the new forecast would be reported to an April 10 meeting of policymakers to review interest rates.

South Korea's economy, Asia's fourth-largest, grew a provisional 5.0 percent in 2007 and is widely expected to lose some of its steam this year due to a slowing global economy.

But the government of growth-oriented President Lee Myung-bak, inaugurated last month, has stuck to its goal of raising this year's economic growth to 6 percent by boosting corporate investment through tax cuts and deregulation. (Reporting by Lee Jin-joo; Editing by Yoo Choonsik/Ruth Pitchford)