SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's industrial lending rose faster in the third quarter owing to stronger demand from service companies, central bank data showed Friday.
Debt, owed by all industries to the deposit-taking financial institutions, amounted to 2,014.1 trillion won (1.37 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of September, up 20.2 trillion won from three months earlier, according to the Bank of Korea.
It was up from an expansion of 14.5 trillion won in the April-June quarter.
Loan demand from service firms advanced 15.7 trillion won to 1,284.4 trillion won in the third quarter, faster than a growth of 7.2 trillion won in the previous quarter.
Loan to manufacturers climbed 4.1 trillion won to 501.5 trillion won in the July-September quarter after mounting 6.0 trillion won in the previous quarter.
Lending to construction companies slid 1 trillion won in the third quarter, keeping a downward trend for the fifth straight quarter.
The industrial lending for operating funds swelled 13.6 trillion won, while the lending for facilities' funds increased 6.6 trillion won in the cited quarter. (1,000 won equals 0.68 U.S. dollars) ■