South Korean households ’ burden of interest payment reached a record - high as the nation ’ s household debt ballooned to an all - time high last year . The nation ’ s households with two members or more paid an average 95 , 387 won ( $ 87 . 89 ) in interest last year , up 8 . 6 percent on - year , said the Statistics Korea ( KOSTAT ) Sunday . On an annual basis , one household paid an average 1 . 14 million won in interest last year . Interest payment accounted for 2 . 34 percent of the nation ’ s total household incomes , the highest since data compilation began nationwide in 2003 . The ratio touched the highest because household incomes grew at a faster pace of 6 . 1 percent than 8 . 6 percent growth of interest payment last year . The ratio of interest payment to household income remained around 1 . 65 percent from 2003 to 2007 , and then jumped to 1 . 92 percent in 2008 to 1 . 95 percent in 2009 to 2 . 14 percent in 2010 to 2 . 29 percent in 2011 . The ratio varied among different income brackets . The ratio of interest payment to household income stood at 2 . 06 percent for top 20 percent in the income quintile . It was the lowest among all income brackets , indicating top income earners shouldered the least burden of interest payment . The ratio stood at 2 . 56 percent in the fourth income quintile and 2 . 53 percent in the middle income quintile , suggesting middle and high income classes were heavily burdened with interest payment . The ratio stood at 2 . 38 percent in the bottom quintile and 2 . 48 percent in the second quintile . The ratios increased on - year to all - time highs in the bottom , second , middle , and fourth quintiles . The ratios in the second ( from 2 . 17 percent to 2 . 48 percent ) and fourth income quintiles ( from 2 . 38 percent to 2 . 58 percent ) saw the largest increases , as their interest payment surged 21 . 4 percent and 14 . 1 percent , respectively , last year . The low - income and middle classes are burdened with more interest payment because the government put a ceiling on the nation ’ s total household loans in 2011 . The measure cut access to bank loans for people with low credit , who turned to high interest rate loans . [ Written by Sun - ah Kim / edited by Soyoung Chung ] [ ⓒ Maeil Business Newspaper & mk . co . kr , All rights reserved ]