Lee, a graduate student, took out a Sunshine Loan to cover tuition and living expenses. While juggling her studies and work in a laboratory, she was forced to quit her job because of health problems. She had been making ends meet by working as a restaurant server, but when she fell short of money for living expenses, she eventually turned to a credit card loan. Her outstanding debt stands at 17 million won ($12,500). Of that amount, the greatest burden comes from 4 million won in credit card loans carrying annual interest rates of more than 15 percent. She earns 2.5 million won a month but spends 1 million won solely on interest payments. She looked into refinancing so she could at least pay off the credit card loan, but could not find a loan available to her at her current credit level. According to financial authorities on Sunday, 1,637,532 people have loans from three or more financial institutions. Of these, 342,690 are people in their 20s and 30s, accounting for 20.9 percent. There has been speculation that anxiety over an overheated asset market has driven young people into debt.