▲ A customer visits a bank branch in Seoul on Jan. 12, 2026. (Yonhap)

BOK-household loans

New lending per borrower falls to nearly 2-yr low in Q4: BOK

SEOUL, Feb. 24 (Yonhap) -- New household loans per borrower in the fourth quarter of 2025 fell to the lowest level in about two years amid the government's tightened regulations to cool the overheated housing market, the central bank said Tuesday.

Fresh lending per borrower averaged 34.43 million won (US$23,797) during the October-December period, down 4.09 million won from the third quarter, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).

It marked the lowest level since the first quarter of 2023.

New mortgage lending per borrower also fell by 14.21 million won from a quarter earlier to an average of 212.86 million won in the fourth quarter, reversing course after hitting a record high in the third quarter.

The decline came as both the number of borrowers and the amount of new lending decreased following a series of government property market stabilization measures.

Under tightened rules announced on Oct. 15, the government designated 21 additional districts in Seoul as speculative zones, placing all 25 districts of the capital under stricter regulations. It also toughened lending limits, capping mortgage loans at as little as 200 million won.

By age group, new lending fell across all brackets in the fourth quarter, with borrowers in their 30s posting a 32.59 million won decline and those in their 40s a 13.16 million won decrease.

By region, fresh lending in Seoul dropped by 9.45 million won to 45.72 million won per borrower in the fourth quarter, the lowest level since the third quarter of 2023.

Lending per borrower in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and the western port city of Incheon combined fell by 7.36 million won to 33.03 million won, the lowest level since the third quarter of 2022, the data showed.

"In the first quarter of 2026, housing transactions in Seoul and the surrounding areas could rise slightly amid seasonal moving demand and ahead of the expiration of capital gains tax relief for multi-home owners. In that case, the average amount of lending per borrower could also increase," BOK official Min Suk-hong told a press briefing.

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