Loans extended by the Bank of Korea (BOK) to state-run firms reached the highest level this year in almost 16 years as the central bank has been involved in various state-led credit extension programs, data showed Tuesday.
The BOK's outstanding loans to such companies stood at 13.16 trillion won at the end of August, rising 64.7 percent from the 7.99 trillion won a year ago, according to the data compiled by the central bank.