Seoul, South Korea.

South Korean banks' lending fell in December

This marked the first on-month decline for a month of December since 2004.

South Korean banks' loans fell in December, driven by the central bank's rate hike and tight lending rules, reports Yonhap, according to data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).

Outstanding bank loans to local households amounted to $982b (KRW1,060.7t) as of end-December 2021, down KRW200b from the previous month, central bank data showed.

This marked the first on-month decline for any December since 2004.

In comparison, the November reading saw a KRW2.9t gain compared to October 2021.

The BOK reportedly said that banks' household loans fell last month amid hikes in lending rates and lenders' tight lending rules, according to Yonhap.

The country's central bank raised the benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point to 1% in November to curb inflation and household debt. It followed a 0.25 percentage point hike in August.

For the whole year of 2021, banks' household loans increased KRW71.8t, the third-largest gain for a single year ever.

Follow the link s for more news on

Join Asian Banking & Finance community
Since you're here...

...there are many ways you can work with us to advertise your company and connect to your customers. Our team can help you dight and create an advertising campaign, in print and digital, on this website and in print magazine.

We can also organize a real life or digital event for you and find thought leader speakers as well as industry leaders, who could be your potential partners, to join the event. We also run some awards programmes which give you an opportunity to be recognized for your achievements during the year and you can join this as a participant or a sponsor.

Let us help you drive your business forward with a good partnership!

Top News

Sri Lanka and Vietnam banks to boost 2025 financials
Sri Lanka’s political crises are receding; Vietnam will be lifted by higher loan growth
Retail Banking
What's in store for payments in 2025?
In emerging markets, digital wallets are evolving into bank account substitutes.
NRIC numbers alone cannot initiate payments, fund transfers: ABS
ABS advised customers to change their login passwords if they are using their NRIC number.