[THE INVESTOR] Overseas card spending by Koreans hit a record high in the third quarter, the central bank said on Nov. 21.

In the July-September period, overseas card spending amounted to US$4.39 billion, up 15.9 percent from a year earlier, according to the Bank of Korea. From a quarter earlier, the Q3 tally marked a 4.9 percent increase.

The hike came as the number of Koreans going abroad increased during the summer vacation season. Government data showed that 7.01 million Koreans traveled to foreign countries in the third quarter, up 14.8 percent from a quarter earlier.

The average amount spent with each card in foreign countries came to US$307 in the third quarter, down from US$320 in the April-June period, the BOK said.

By Alex Lee and newswires (alexlee@heraldcorp.com)