Koo Yoon-chul: "Establishing Strategic Export Finance Fund to Strengthen Export Capabilities... Introducing Win-Win Contribution Fund"

Presiding Over Economic Ministers' Meeting at Government Seoul Office
Up to 2 Billion Won in Support for Large and Small-Medium Enterprises Entering the U.S. Market

Koo Yoon-chul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, stated on January 21, "We will establish a Strategic Export Finance Fund to strengthen our financial support capabilities for strategic exports."

Deputy Prime Minister Koo, who presided over the Economic Ministers' Meeting at the Government Seoul Office that morning, said, "We will expand financial support not only for large-scale projects such as defense, nuclear power, and plants, but also for long-term and low-credit projects that have previously received limited support, thereby backing the development of new markets."

He added, "By introducing a Strategic Export Win-Win Contribution Fund, we aim to create a virtuous cycle in which the profits of beneficiary companies lead to enhanced competitiveness across the entire ecosystem," and continued, "To this end, we will promptly push for the enactment of legislation on strategic export finance support."

Regarding the win-win growth strategy for large and small-medium enterprises, he said, "The Lee Jaemyung administration will shift away from a system in which the achievements of economic diplomacy have been concentrated among large corporations, and instead expand overseas opportunities and growth capital supply for small and medium-sized enterprises."

Koo Yoon-chul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, is attending the Economic Ministers' Meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 21st, speaking about the win-win growth strategy for large, medium, and small enterprises and measures to strengthen strategic export finance support. 2026.1.21 Photo by Jo Yongjun

To achieve this, he explained, "We will provide preferential export finance limits and interest rates for joint overseas expansion projects involving both large and small-medium enterprises," and added, "Whereas previously, up to 1 billion won was provided over three years for joint overseas expansion, going forward, up to 2 billion won will be provided over three years for entry into the United States, and up to 1.5 billion won for entry into other countries. In addition, we will link guarantees totaling 20 billion won.

Deputy Prime Minister Koo also stated, "We will significantly expand win-win finance, in which large corporations and financial institutions contribute to guarantee agencies to support their partners, from the current 1 trillion won to 1.7 trillion won," and continued, "We will introduce incentives such as allowing up to 10% of the amount contributed by large corporations to the Trade Insurance Fund for win-win cooperation to be deducted from corporate tax."

He further said, "We will expand the performance-sharing system to all business-to-business transactions, including platforms and distribution, and conduct the win-win growth evaluation for all public institutions. We will also strengthen administrative sanctions for technology theft from small and medium-sized enterprises and introduce fines of up to 5 billion won for serious violations."

The win-win ecosystem, which has been centered on manufacturing, will be expanded to include platforms, finance, and defense. Deputy Prime Minister Koo said, "We will promote the evaluation of the win-win growth index for online platforms, and newly establish a win-win finance index and a defense industry win-win cooperation evaluation."

He also presented measures to strengthen the final treatment capabilities of regional responsibility medical institutions. Deputy Prime Minister Koo said, "We will rapidly improve the outdated infrastructure of regional responsibility medical institutions in all 17 cities and provinces to enhance local medical capacity. We will exempt or simplify administrative procedures such as local fiscal investment review, and this year, we will invest a total of 203 billion won to expand intensive care units and introduce advanced medical equipment such as robotic surgical systems and critical care devices."

Deputy Prime Minister Koo concluded, "We will make this year the first year of a 'Great Leap Forward for the Korean Economy,' in which all citizens grow together," and added, "We will concretize each policy task to achieve a rebound in potential growth and resolve polarization."