Prime Minister Kim Urges KDB Chairman to Support Advanced Strategic Industries and Lead Industrial Restructuring

On January 20, Prime Minister Kim Minseok met with Park Sangjin, Chairman of the Korea Development Bank, and requested that policy financial institutions play a greater role in supporting advanced and strategic industries, as well as in restructuring industrial structures.

Prime Minister Kim Minseok (right) and Park Sangjin, Chairman of the Korea Development Bank, are holding a meeting on the morning of the 20th at the Prime Minister's official residence in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Office for Government Policy Coordination

According to the Office for Government Policy Coordination, Prime Minister Kim met with Chairman Park and other officials from the Korea Development Bank at the Prime Minister's official residence in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the same day. He stated, "It is important for policy financial institutions such as the Korea Development Bank to lead productive finance in the financial sector, including support for advanced and strategic industries." He also urged the Korea Development Bank to take a leading role in the process of restructuring industrial structures to strengthen industrial competitiveness and revitalizing regional finance.

During the meeting, participants discussed the overall economic situation, including the recent strong export performance and the recovery of domestic demand. With this year's growth rate expected to rebound to around 2.0%, Prime Minister Kim remarked, "To ensure that the economic rebound does not result in a K-shaped recovery, it is necessary to promote support and structural innovation for regions, non-IT sectors, and vulnerable industries." He further emphasized, "The government will do its utmost to make 2026 the first year of a major economic leap forward by revitalizing investment in national strategic industries and realizing a super-innovative economy through AX (AI transformation) and GX (green transformation)."

Chairman Park stated, "The Korea Development Bank will foster future strategic industries based on the National Growth Fund, enhance national industrial competitiveness by supporting industrial restructuring, and further strengthen communication and cooperation with the government."

The meeting reportedly lasted for about one hour, starting at 7:30 a.m. This was the second time Prime Minister Kim has held a meeting with a key figure in the economic and financial sectors, following his meeting with Bank of Korea Governor Rhee Changyong on December 9 last year. An official from the Prime Minister's Office said, "We plan to regularly arrange in-depth discussions with experts on major economic and financial issues."