◆The National Growth Fund is a large-scale policy fund spearheaded by President Lee Jae-myung, often referred to as the "Lee Jae-myung Fund." Over the next five years, the fund will focus investments on companies and ecosystems related to advanced strategic industries, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotechnology, robotics, hydrogen, secondary batteries, displays, future mobility, and defense.


The fund is set to reach a total size of 150 trillion won ($112.7 billion), with equal contributions from the public and private sectors—75 trillion won ($56.3 billion) each. South Korea’s five major financial holding groups will each contribute 10 trillion won ($7.5 billion), totaling 50 trillion won ($37.6 billion). Some market observers have described it as "the largest fund since the founding of the nation."


The Korea Development Bank and the five major financial holding groups will establish a joint cooperation framework to strategically supply capital to advanced industries. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) will create a dedicated secretariat for the National Growth Fund and implement a professional governance structure. Procedures such as recommendations from the Fund Management Deliberation Committee are underway, and a pool is being formed to actively reflect feedback from the financial and industrial sectors.


At the signing ceremony, the Korea Development Bank and the five major financial holding groups agreed to actively cooperate in providing project-based funding for the National Growth Fund, dispatching specialized personnel, and exchanging information on support initiatives for advanced strategic industries.


Lee Eo-kwon, Vice Chairman of the Financial Services Commission, stated, "The National Growth Fund represents a new model that existing industrial finance has never experienced, requiring a fundamental overhaul of business practices and mindsets. The government will also pursue institutional reforms, such as easing investment burdens and expanding indemnity measures, to further stimulate investment decisions in the financial sector."


(Seoul=Yonhap Infomax) Young Tae Seo

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