SEOUL, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- South Korean banks' household lending fell for the second consecutive month amid the government's efforts to curb housing purchases with borrowed money, central bank data showed Wednesday.
Debt owed by households to deposit-taking banks totaled 1,172.7 trillion won (807.4 billion U.S. dollars) at the end of January, down 1.0 trillion won (688.5 million dollars) from a month earlier, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).
Banks' mortgage loans reduced 600 billion won (413.1 million dollars) last month.
The domestic real estate market fluctuated in recent months, with the number of apartment transactions across the country reaching 34,000 in August, 47,000 in October and 42,000 in December 2025.
Other loans to households, including credit loans, credit line and commercial real estate-backed loans, dwindled 400 billion won (275.4 million dollars) in January 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 to 1,369.6 trillion won (942.9 billion dollars) at the end of January, up 5.7 trillion won (3.9 billion dollars) from a month earlier.
Lending to big companies mounted 3.4 trillion won (2.3 billion dollars), while loans to small firms swelled 2.3 trillion won (1.6 billion dollars) in January. ■
