Young South Koreans are increasingly being driven overseas or into risky jobs by mounting debt and scarce opportunities, with people in their 20s showing the highest loan delinquency rates of any age group.

Data from the country’s five major banks showed that as of June, loan delinquency among borrowers in their 20s reached zero-point-41 percent, topping the rates of all other age brackets.

Rising living costs and unstable employment have pushed many young Koreans toward high-interest loans or even illegal private lenders, a growing concern among policymakers.

The number of 20-somethings listed as “credit risk” borrowers has surged 25 percent in three years to more than 65-thousand, far outpacing the growth in other age groups.

Officials warn that excessive debt among young adults could deepen financial instability and weigh on the low birth rate by limiting the generation's economic mobility.

The Financial Services Commission said expanding job opportunities and financial education is crucial to easing that burden, noting that “income growth is the most fundamental solution” to the debt crisis among young adults.