Economic Downturn Impact... Card Loans Reach 20-Year High [3-Minute Brief]

① Card loan delinquency rate hits highest in 20 years since 4.1% in 2004
② Amid US turmoil, investors turn their eyes to China
③ Market grew rapidly, but spring water regulations remain at 1998 levels

MARKET INDEX

○ Trump: Tariff policy "will never bend"

○ US Treasury: Focus on real economy over short-term volatility

○ February PPI steady compared to previous month... Inflation concerns ease

TOP 3 NEWS

■ "No money, but let's swipe first"... Card loan delinquency rate hits highest in 20 years

○ Last year, bank credit card loan delinquency rate at 3.1%
○ Highest since 4.1% in 2004 when the card crisis occurred, first time in 20 years
○ Delinquency increase in card loans and cash services, vital quick cash sources for low-income people

■ Trump’s tariff balloon effect?… Investors turning eyes to Chinese market instead of US

○ Hong Kong Hang Seng Index up over 20% this year
○ New York stock market continues downward trend
○ Citigroup adjusts investment opinions on US and China respectively

■ Decades-old spring water regulations lifted… Microplastic countermeasures remain a challenge

○ Market grew rapidly but regulations remain at 1998 level
○ US does not regulate spring water, South Korea stubbornly maintains for decades
○ Microplastic reduction measures remain a future task

Graphic News: Beware the 'Toheje' butterfly effect... How much household loan increase triggers warning signals?

○ "Manage household debt growth rate below nominal growth rate (3.8%)"

○ Simple calculation of household loan balance shows 62.7 trillion KRW annually... Should stay within 5.2 trillion KRW monthly

○ Last month 4.3 trillion KRW, January-February average 1.7 trillion KRW... Not yet at risk level

the Chart: Everyone’s scrambling to buy Seoul apartments... "Prices rose faster and more than expected"

○ As of the 13th, Seoul apartment transactions totaled 4,766

○ Toheje lifting acted as a catalyst... Highest since August

○ Jamsil and Daechi apartments have seen consecutive record-high prices since February

Today's Key Schedule

○ Domestic

KOSDAQ Seoul Guarantee Insurance listing, final public offering price 26,000 KRW

○ Overseas

02:00 US 30-year Treasury bond auction

02:30 Speech by Germany Buba President Nagel

16:00 UK Monthly GDP 3M/3M change (January)

16:00 Germany Consumer Price Index (MoM) (February)

21:00 Brazil Retail Sales (MoM) (January)

23:00 University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (March)

◇ Lunch & Commute Weather

○ Lowest temperature 3℃(0℃) ｜ Highest temperature: 18℃(▲3℃)
○ Precipitation probability morning 0%｜afternoon 0%
○ Fine dust morning moderate｜afternoon good

OK in 3 minutes, essential time-efficient economic news. Published daily at 8 AM.