{
  "id": 10386094,
  "title": "Korean newlyweds start married life with growing debt as loans double",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/korean-newlyweds-start-married-life-with-growing-debt-as-loans-double",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-28T07:02:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/economy/others/20260928/korean-newlyweds-start-married-life-with-growing-debt-as-loans-double"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kim, a 37-year-old office worker in Gyeonggi Province, is struggling with growing debt as his loans have doubled since his marriage two years ago. His wife also has a loan, further increasing their repayment burden. The couple had to borrow heavily to cover housing and wedding expenses, even with assistance from their parents. With rising interest rates, Kim is concerned that their loan payments will increase in the future.\n\nAfter covering essential expenses like utilities, phone bills, and basic living costs, the majority of their paychecks go towards repaying the loans. The rising costs of housing, rents, and wedding ceremonies are leaving more newlyweds like Kim with substantial debts. According to data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics on Monday, the median outstanding loan balance for couples who have been married for no more than five years has more than doubled over the past eight years.\n\nSpecifically, high-value loans of at least 300 million won ($221,000) have become increasingly common, particularly among couples who own a property. In 2024, the median outstanding loan balance among newlyweds stood at 179 million won, a 5% increase from the previous year and 130.1% higher than a decade ago.",
  "summary": "Kim, a 37-year-old office worker in Gyeonggi Province, spends much of his monthly pay repaying a loan he took out to buy a home when he married two years ago. His wife has a loan of her own, adding to the couple’s repayment burden. “We had to borrow to cover housing and wedding costs, even with help from our parents,” Kim said. “With interest rates rising, I’m worried our payments will grow.…",
  "key_points": [
    "Kim and his wife have doubled their loans since marriage two years ago.",
    "Majority of their paychecks go towards loan repayments, leaving little for other expenses.",
    "Median outstanding loan balance for newlyweds has more than doubled in eight years."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Korean newlyweds start married life with growing debt as loans double",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/korean-newlyweds-start-married-life-with-growing-debt-as-loans-double-10389808",
        "published": "2026-09-28T07:22:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}