Credit card spending up 19.8 pct in June

SEOUL, July 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's credit card spending in June rose 19.8 percent from a year earlier due mainly to a seasonal increase in home appliance purchases, a trade association said Wednesday.
   Purchases made by credit card totaled 37.6 trillion won (US$35.1 billion) in June, compared with 31.3 trillion won in the same period last year, according to the Credit Finance Association (CFA).
   In the first half of the year, credit card spending rose 17.7 percent on-year to 218.1 trillion won, the association said.
   The data includes spending via credit card and debit and prepaid cards, but excludes cash advances and overseas spending.
   "Unusually hot weather drove up consumers' demand for home appliances such as air conditioners and refrigerators in June, leading to more credit card payments," a CFA official said.
   Sales of electronics products surged 35.6 percent on-year last month, according to the data.
   The first-half growth was fueled by rising consumer prices, a rise in the number of credit cards in use and brisk online shopping, the CFA said.
   South Korea's consumer prices gained 4.4 percent last month from a year earlier, marking its six straight month over the government's renewed annual inflation target of 4 percent.
   As of the end of March, credit cards used for payments numbered 8.21 million, up 10.4 percent from a year earlier, it added.