SEOUL, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's household loan growth at banks slowed last month due to a cooldown in stock and property markets, central bank data showed Thursday.
Debt owed by households to deposit-taking banks totaled 1,198.9 trillion won (about 889.6 billion U.S. dollars) at the end of September, up 0.6 trillion won from a month earlier, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).
It marked a significant slowdown from the previous month's 3.5 trillion won increase.
The slowdown was caused by a slump in retail stock investments and a reduction in newly completed housing.
Other loans, including credit loans, credit lines, and commercial real estate-backed loans, decreased by 2.3 trillion won in September from a month earlier, after a 0.6 trillion won decline in August.
Mortgage loans grew 2.9 trillion won last month, but the increase was smaller than the 4.1 trillion won expansion in the prior month.
The number of move-ins of newly built apartments across the country fell to 14,000 in September from 19,000 in the previous month.
Corporate loans extended by domestic banks totaled 1,441.5 trillion won at the end of September, up 10.7 trillion won from a month earlier, compared with a 9.7 trillion won rise the previous month.
Lending to large corporations rose by 7.5 trillion won, while loans to small and medium-sized enterprises increased by 3.2 trillion won in September. ■
