Five major South Korean banks have exhausted roughly 2.78 trillion won ($2.0 billion) in additional household loan capacity in less than a month after financial authorities raised their aggregate targets. KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori and NH Nonghyup held 652.2617 trillion won ($479.0 billion) in household loans excluding policy loans as of Sept. 17, up 7.2918 trillion won ($5.4 billion) from the end of last year and nearly 200 billion won ($146.9 million) above their approximately 7.11 trillion won ($5.2 billion) annual growth target. Including policy loans, balances fell 611 billion won ($448.7 million) from the end of August to 781.5082 trillion won ($573.9 billion), the first monthly decline since March. The decrease largely reflects the securitization and transfer of Bogeumjari Loans to Korea Housing Finance Corporation rather than weaker underlying demand for banks’ own household lending. Banks are therefore unlikely to ease mortgage and jeonse-loan conditions materially before year-end, although group loans exempt from aggregate caps and seasonally weaker mortgage demand could limit disruption for genuine borrowers.