Bank lending rates on new household loans ticked up in January from a month earlier, central bank data showed Friday, possibly indicating local lenders' anticipation of rate hikes down the road.

The average interest rate on new household loans gained 0.05 percentage points from a month earlier to 3.28 percent last month, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).

January marked the third consecutive month of a rise in the average rates on new household loans.

Such an increase apparently came in anticipation of a hike in the key interest rate.

The central bank has stood pat on its key rate at a record low of 1.5 percent since June in an attempt to help bolster growth here.

However, lending rates began trending higher shortly before the U.S. Federal Reserve raised its own key rate in December, prompting a mass outflow of foreign capital from Korea and other newly emerging market countries.

In Korea, foreign investors remained net sellers for a record selling streak of 37 consecutive sessions between Dec. 2 and Jan. 26, dumping over 6 trillion won ($4.85 billion) worth of local shares over the cited period.

Despite an increase in bank lending rates for household loans, the average lending rate on all new loans only inched up 0.03 percentage points from the previous month to 3.49 percent last month, as the average rate on new corporate loans shed 0.05 percentage points to 3.57 percent.

The average interest rate paid by local lenders on new deposits slipped 0.07 percentage points to 1.65 percent with the gap between interest paid to and by banks widening to 1.84 percent, up 0.1 percentage points from the previous month. (Yonhap)