SEOUL   -   South Ko­rean households’ surplus fund fell last year due to eco­nomic slump and higher bor­rowing costs, central bank data showed Thursday. The net surplus fund, or the value of financial assets minus fi­nancial debts possessed by households and non-profit organizations, amounted to 158.2 trillion won (117.3 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, down 50.8 trillion won (37.7 billion dollars) compared to the previous year, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).