South Korea’s income-contingent student-loan delinquencies reached 60,699 borrowers by July, with overdue debt totaling 87.351 billion won, or about 1.44 million won per borrower. Introduced in 2010, the program provides tuition and living-expense loans to undergraduate and graduate students, with mandatory repayment through the National Tax Service once income exceeds a set threshold after graduation. Delinquencies rose from 36,236 borrowers in 2020 to 44,216 in 2022, 51,116 in 2023 and 57,580 last year. Arrears increased from 42.651 billion won in 2020 to 55.19 billion won in 2022, 66.145 billion won in 2023, 74.034 billion won in 2024 and 81.312 billion won in 2025, before reaching 87.351 billion won by July. There were 19,244 seizure cases linked to delinquency, while 228 cases received tax-relief measures such as deferred seizure or sale. Separately, 110,051 people who became subject to mandatory repayment because of income were later exempted after their income declined. Existing data also show rising repayment deferrals amid employment and income pressures, while Moon Jin-seok of the Democratic Party of Korea has called for adjustments to deferral and repayment-reduction standards alongside employment and income support.