SEOUL, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- South Korean banks' household lending turned downward amid the government's efforts to curb housing purchase with borrowed money, central bank data showed Wednesday.
Debt owed by households to deposit-taking banks totaled 1,173.6 trillion won (794.2 billion U.S. dollars) at the end of December in 2025, down 2.2 trillion won (1.5 billion dollars) from a month earlier, according to the Bank of Korea.
It marked the first fall in 11 months since last January on the back of the government measures to restrict mortgage loans and the banks' tighter management of household debt caps at the end of the year.
Banks' mortgage loans reduced 700 billion won (473.7 million dollars) last month, shifting downward in nearly three years since February of 2023.
The domestic real estate market fluctuated in recent months, with the number of apartment transactions across the country reaching 35,000 in July, 47,000 in September and 43,000 in November last year.
Other loans to households, including credit loans, credit line and commercial real estate-backed loan, diminished 1.5 trillion won (1.02 billion dollars) in December compared to the previous month.
The BOK left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.50 percent after reducing it by 25 basis points in February and May of 2025 and in October and November of 2024.
Banks' corporate loans ran into 1,363.9 trillion won (922.9 billion dollars) at the end of December, up 8.3 trillion won (5.6 billion dollars) from a month earlier.
Lending to big companies declined 2.0 trillion won (1.3 billion dollars), while loans to small firms retreated 6.3 trillion won (4.3 billion dollars) last month. ■
