K Bank Sees Sixfold Increase in Guaranteed Loans for Individual Business Owners

Coverage Expanded to Eight Additional Regions Last Year
Guaranteed Loan Issuance Surged from 40 Billion Won to 240 Billion Won
Outstanding Balance Nearly Doubled
This Year, Additional 2 Billion Won Each Contributed to Busan and Incheon Credit Guarantee Foundations
Guaranteed Loan Supply Expanded to 60 Billion Won

K Bank announced on January 7 that its guaranteed loan issuance for individual business owners grew sixfold year-on-year in 2025, marking a steep growth trajectory.

The annual volume of guaranteed loans for individual business owners surged from 40 billion won in 2024 to 240 billion won in 2025. Despite an economic slowdown and challenging conditions, K Bank has steadily expanded its stable funding supply by fulfilling its policy financing role for small business owners.

K Bank expanded the coverage of its “Boss Guaranteed Loan,” provided in collaboration with regional credit guarantee foundations, by eight additional regions last year alone, now offering the product in a total of eleven areas. The bank further strengthened its guaranteed loan lineup for individual business owners by introducing the “Livelihood-Type Suitable Industry Guaranteed Loan.”

Based on this expansion, the outstanding balance of guaranteed loans for individual business owners also increased significantly. The outstanding balance grew from 180 billion won at the end of 2024 to 330 billion won at the end of 2025, a rise of 150 billion won-nearly doubling in size.

Guaranteed loans have played a practical financial support role for small business owners, who form the backbone of the local economy. As of the end of last year, about 60% of the outstanding balance was distributed among wholesale and retail, accommodation and food services, and transportation and warehousing industries, contributing to business stability in sectors sensitive to economic fluctuations.

By age group, business owners in their 40s and 50s-who bear responsibility for both household and business-accounted for 67% of the total outstanding balance, indicating that financial support was focused on real demand and livelihood-based needs.

K Bank plans to further accelerate the expansion of guaranteed loans this year. This month, the bank will make a special contribution of 2 billion won each to Busan and Incheon, launching guaranteed loan supplies totaling 60 billion won.

In Busan, K Bank will collaborate with Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Credit Guarantee Foundation to meet funding needs for small business owners around the Lunar New Year and early in the year. In Incheon, it will work with the Incheon Credit Guarantee Foundation to provide customized financial support tailored to different stages of business growth, such as startups and scaling companies.

Additionally, the total outstanding balance of all individual business owner loans-including real estate-backed and unsecured loans-increased by 1.15 trillion won over the past year. As a result, the total outstanding balance grew from 1.15 trillion won at the end of 2024 to 2.3 trillion won at the end of 2025, achieving a 100% growth rate.

A K Bank official stated, “Guaranteed loans are a representative policy finance tool that alleviates the financial burden on small business owners vulnerable to economic fluctuations. This year, we will continue to expand stable, demand-driven funding through collaboration with various regional credit guarantee foundations.”