SEOUL, March 9 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's industrial lending rose slower in the fourth quarter of 2025 due to weaker demand from manufacturing and service companies, central bank data showed Monday.
Debt, owed by all industries to the deposit-taking financial institutions, amounted to 2,026.1 trillion won (1.36 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of December 2025, up 8.6 trillion won from three months ago, according to the Bank of Korea.
It was down from an expansion of 20.2 trillion won in the July-September quarter.
Loan to manufacturers climbed 1.2 trillion won in the October-December quarter, down from an increase of 4.1 trillion won in the previous quarter.
Loan demand from service firms swelled 9.3 trillion won in the fourth quarter after soaring 15.7 trillion won in the third quarter.
Lending to construction companies reduced 2.9 trillion won in the fourth quarter, maintaining a downward trend for the sixth straight quarter since the third quarter of 2024.
The industrial lending for operating funds added 2.0 trillion won, while the lending for facilities' funds increased 6.6 trillion won in the cited quarter. (1 won equals 0.00067 U.S. dollars) ■
