South Korea’s Poisoned Chalice of Household Debt Restricts Park

SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg

Voters wait in line to cast their ballots for the presidential election at a polling station in Seoul on Dec. 19, 2012. South Korea's total household debt rose to a record 937.5 trillion won in the third quarter, undermining Park Geun Hye’s election promise to expand the middle class after she takes over the presidency next week.