South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) plans to complete lending-industry standards by year-end that would restrict general credit loans to active-duty soldiers, after loans from the top 30 registered lending institutions to soldiers rose sharply.

Loans to active-duty soldiers from the top 30 lending institutions registered with the Financial Services Commission (FSC) totaled $18.1 million at the end of 2025, compared with $260,000 at the end of 2022.

The FSS also plans to strengthen financial education to help prevent excessive debt. The FSS views improper use of loan funds for online gambling and high-risk investments, including crypto assets, as one of the main reasons loans from the top 30 institutions to active-duty soldiers increased.

Riza Dagoc

Riza Dagoc reports on regulation, investing and the digital-asset business for TokenPost. Send corrections or tips to [email protected].