A clerk sorts $100 banknotes at the headquarters of Hana Bank in Seoul, Oct. 7. Newsis
Korea's external debt increased in the third quarter of the year from the previous quarter amid a rise in both short-term and long-term debts, central bank data showed Wednesday.
The country's external liabilities had come to $702 billion as of end-September, compared with $658 billion three months ago, according to the preliminary data from the Bank of Korea.
The data showed that both short-term and long-term external borrowing increased.
Of the total, the country's short-term debt that matures in a year rose by $16.8 billion on-quarter to $158 billion, while long-term debt fell $27.6 billion over the same period to $544 billion, the data showed.
The ratio of short-term debt to foreign reserves increased by 0.8 percentage point to 34.4 percent. A lower ratio means a stronger debt-serving capability.
The ratio of short-term debt to total external liabilities also rose 1 percentage point to 22.6 percent, the data showed.
Meanwhile, the country's net foreign financial assets stood at $978 billion at the end of September, up $119 billion from three months ago, the highest ever on record. (Yonhap)
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