Bank lending rates on new household loans inched down in June and interest rates paid by banks on new deposits slightly rose, central bank data showed Monday.

The average interest rates on fresh household loans extended by local banks came to 3.41 percent in June, down 0.06 percentage point from the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea.

The BOK data came amid South Korea's efforts to tackle rising household debt. 


South Korea's household debt stood at 1,359.7 trillion won ($1.2 trillion) as of end-March, a dramatic increase from 665 trillion won at the end of 2007, according to the Bank of Korea.

The average interest rates on new mortgages came to 3.22 percent in June, down 0.04 percentage point from May, according to the BOK.

The interest rates on all new loans stood at 3.44 percent in June, down 0.01 percentage point from a month earlier. The rates on new corporate loans remained unchanged at 3.45 percent in June.

The average rates paid by banks on fresh deposits came to 1.49 percent in June, up 0.01 percentage point from the previous month.

The gap between the interest rates paid to and by banks came to 1.95 percent in June, down from 1.97 percent in May. (Yonhap)