Household loans at South Korean banks increased by 3.4 trillion won ($2.5 billion) in August 2026, slowing from July's 5.5 trillion won gain and August 2025's 4.1 trillion won increase, according to Bank of Korea data released on the 9th. The moderation reflected a 600 billion won decline in other loans, which had risen by 2 trillion won in July, as individual stock-investment demand cooled and banks tightened unsecured-lending management. Mortgage lending rose by 4 trillion won, up from 3.5 trillion won in July, as home transactions and move-ins increased in the greater Seoul area, despite a continued decline in jeonse loans. Across banks and secondary financial institutions, household loans rose by 2.6 trillion won in August, bringing the January-through-August increase to 38 trillion won. Corporate lending accelerated, with bank loans to companies rising by 9.7 trillion won, while corporate bonds recorded net redemptions of 900 billion won and commercial paper and short-term bonds posted net issuance of 4.1 trillion won.