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Yesterday (3rd), the US central bank raised the key interest rate by 0.75%p once again.

The Bank of Korea is also likely to raise interest rates significantly again.

It is expected that the interest burden of ordinary people with debt will increase further.



This is reporter Jo Yoon-ha.



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Two years ago, office worker A got a 200 million won loan from a bank and bought a house for rent.



The interest on the loan was much lower than the monthly rent, so there was nothing to worry about.



[Mr A/Office worker: The monthly rent for a one-room apartment was still over 500,000 won in Seoul, but I came in because a new three-bedroom villa can be bought with interest in the low 400,000 won range.]



Now, the situation has changed.



The burden has already increased as the interest rate has risen from the 2.5% range to close to 4%, but I am thinking about moving it to a monthly rent because of the additional increase.



[Mr A/Office worker: At the time, I never imagined it would be like this.

I'm planning to move because the interest rates have risen and it's a little hard to bear...

.]



Fed Chairman Powell shocked the market by raising rates again, announcing that he could raise rates by an additional 1 percentage point.



[Jerome Powell/Chairman of the US Federal Reserve: According to the data since the last meeting, the final interest rate level will be higher than expected.]



The Bank of Korea will set the base rate again on the 24th of this month, but the interest rate gap between Korea and the US will not be taken into account. It is an impossible situation.



[Kim Seong-eun / Professor of Economics, Sejong University: Investment funds are flowing out to the United States.

As capital outflows occur, the exchange rate will rise.

As the import price rises, it will act as an inflation factor in Korea as well.]]



With the highest interest rates on commercial banks' jeonse loans and collateral loans already exceeding 7% per annum, the burden on young people and ordinary people is bound to increase.



In addition, as seen in the Legoland incident, there is still concern that the financial market may be shaken by even a small shock.



Even if the interest rate is raised, it seems that countermeasures for the financially vulnerable should also be prepared.