Abstract
The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics and financial status of credit delinquents utilizing the debt management program of the Credit Counseling and Recovery Service between January-June in 2007. Total sample of 41,355 cases was analyzed using the statistical program SPSS(Version 12.0). For analysis, descriptive statistics, F-test, Scheffe test, t-test, logit analysis and regression analysis were employed. People in the age range of 30-40s, males, high-school graduates, married couples, part-time employees, costfree residents and residents in other regions were relatively high users of the debt management program. Reasons of credit delinquency were diverse and was combined to credit default. However, increases in expenses and income reductions were found to be the most frequent reasons. Financial conditions of delinquents were worse than those of average persons shown on the national statistics. It was also found that age, sex, educational level, occupation, region of residence, home-ownership, reason of delinquency, income and total outstandings of debt were significant determinants of short-term debt burden which was measured by the ratio of monthly payment to income and long-term debt burden which was measured by repayment period.