Was the credit channel a key monetary transmission mechanism following the recent financial crisis in the Republic of Korea?

The author investigates whether the credit channel is a key monetary transmission mechanism in the Republic of Korea, especially after its recent financial crisis. To identify the existence of a distinctive credit channel (especially the bank lending channel), he applies two empirical tests to both aggregate financial data and disaggregated bank balance sheet data. As a more definitive analysis of the role of the credit channel, he estimates a disequilibrium model of the bank loan market, specifying separate loan demand and supply equations to characterize the credit crunch and identify its intensity in the wake of the crisis. The author finds convincing evidence ofthe importance of the credit channel in the aftermath of the crisis. Bank lending plays a significant independent role in amplifying the real effects of the tightened monetary policy implemented in response to the crisis. There is strong evidence to suggest a substantial excess demand for bank loans following the crisis. This excess demand was caused by a sharp decline in loan supply largely attributable to pervasive and stringent bank capital regulation (a capital-induced bank credit crunch), rather than by weak demand for loans.