SEOUL, Nov 25 (Reuters) - South Korean household credit expanded by a net 15 trillion won ($13 billion) during the third quarter, more than the previous quarter's net 14.1 trillion won gain, central bank data showed on Wednesday.
Loans rose by a net 14 trillion won and purchases on credit gained a net 1 trillion won during July-September, after rising by 13.8 trillion won and 0.3 trillion won in the previous three months, respectively, Bank of Korea data showed.
Increased mortgage lending and a recovery in consumer spending were responsible for the growth in household credit, although mortgage borrowings showed signs of stabilising toward the end of the quarter, the central bank said in a statement.
Debt among South Korean households totalled 675.6 trillion won at the end of September, the data showed, equivalent to two-thirds of the country's annual gross domestic product of 1,023.9 trillion won in 2008.
South Korea releases household lending data every month but the central bank separately releases quarterly figures after including purchases on credit value.

($1=1153.9 Won)

(Reporting by Yoo Choonsik; Editing by Chris Lewis)

((choonsik.yoo@thomsonreuters.com; +82 2 3704 5580; Reuters Messaging: choonsik.yoo.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: KOREA ECONOMY/CREDIT (If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)

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