[2025 Audit] Eximbank Admits "Our Fault" for Insufficient Employment and Purchasing of Products for People with Disabilities

The Export-Import Bank of Korea acknowledged, "It is our fault for failing to comply with the required ratios," regarding its non-compliance with the mandatory employment quota system for people with disabilities and failure to meet the legally mandated purchase ratio for products produced by people with severe disabilities.

On the afternoon of October 27, during a National Assembly Planning and Finance Committee audit, Acting President Ahn Jonghyuk of the Export-Import Bank of Korea responded in this way after Assemblyman Cho Seungrae of the Democratic Party of Korea pointed out the bank’s insufficient employment rate for people with disabilities and its low mandatory purchase ratio for products made by people with severe disabilities.

When Assemblyman Cho asked, "The purchase performance for products made by people with severe disabilities was acceptable up until 2023, but it has been deteriorating," Acting President Ahn replied, "By law, we are required to purchase 1% of our total purchases from these products. However, as we have increased spending on information technology (IT) and data centers, the total expenditure has grown, which structurally reduced the purchase ratio. As a result, we failed to comply with the required ratio, and it is our fault."

Assemblyman Cho further asked, "Will the ratio improve once all the data centers are completed? Every institution has investment and purchasing plans; shouldn’t you also establish a plan for purchasing products made by people with severe disabilities? Please include this in your planning." Acting President Ahn responded, "We will do so."