Compared to a year ago, the total was up by 77 trillion won, or 5.3 percent, while average individual debt increased by 2.6 million won, or 3.3 percent.

A detailed analysis of the data revealed that 33.2 percent of the debtors -- 6.31 million people -- got their loans using their homes as collateral. Their debts amounted to 978 trillion won, or 63.9 percent of the total debts.

Such mortgage loans meant that on average, an individual owed 154.86 million won, nearly double the mean for the entire group.

Non-mortgage loans held by 12.72 million people averaged 43.48 million won per person.

NICE's data showed that one in four mortgage loan debtors, or 1.46 million people, also had credit loans or borrowed from secondary banking institutions. The sources of their debt, which were multiple for some people, included credit loans, held by 79.2 percent; credit card loans at 40.8 percent; private loans at 8 percent; and credit lending from savings banks at 6.6 percent.

Total debts owed by these multiple borrowers equaled 336 trillion won, up 22 trillion won -- 6.9 percent -- from a year ago.

For this group, the average borrowing per person was 229.5 million won, of which 146.72 million won was in mortgage loans. (Yonhap)