This article was displayed on the ChosunBiz MoneyMove (MM) website at 3:37 p.m. on Feb. 9, 2026.
The Export-Import Bank of Korea is widening its investment footprint through the supply chain stabilization fund. The bank is considering not only committing to venture capital (VC) funds using the supply chain stabilization fund but also making direct investments.
According to the investment banking (IB) industry on the 9th, the bank is pushing to select an external advisory firm to devise measures to revitalize investment by the supply chain stabilization fund. As criticism has continued over the fund's conservative management, it is seen as having begun preliminary work to refine detailed management standards and investment strategy.
Launched in September two years ago, the supply chain stabilization fund is a pan-government policy tool to support advanced strategic industries in response to the global supply chain crisis. The Export-Import Bank of Korea has been in charge of managing and operating the fund. However, it had been able to raise resources only by issuing bonds whose principal and interest repayment is guaranteed by the government, and given that losses could translate into a fiscal burden, there had been criticism that the operation had to be conservative. In addition, under the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act, support through commitments to collective investment schemes—particularly private equity funds (PEFs)—was restricted.
With this amendment, an institutional foundation has been laid for the bank to expand its role from a lending institution to an investment institution. Accordingly, the bank is said to have been conducting internal reviews with an eye toward expanding the investment function of the supply chain stabilization fund.
Through external consulting, the bank plans to redefine the fund's priority support areas—advanced strategic industries, resource security, essential goods for the economy, and logistics infrastructure—and to establish strategies for investment size and funding composition by type, such as blind funds and project funds. Alongside direct investment measures for domestic and overseas core mineral and energy value chain projects, it also plans to flesh out the structure for investment exit and criteria for assessing sector suitability. This means it intends to prepare guidelines that encompass not only increased commitments but also investment screening and post-management systems.
As grants to the fund become possible, there is talk that the scale of existing PEF commitments could be expanded. Last year, it executed a total of 200 billion won in commitments. Internally, there is said to be a positive mood toward expanding the scale of the regular commitment program in the second half compared with the previous year.
In addition, the request for proposals is said to include a plan to newly introduce venture investment operations. This is interpreted as an intention to establish a separate VC commitment program in addition to the existing PEF-centered commitment structure. It appears to be a move to broaden support to include investments in supply chain-related technologies for early-stage and growth-stage companies.
In the RFP, the bank said it is "pursuing expansion of The Export-Import Bank of Korea grants and investment size, and the introduction of new venture investment operations," adding that "to diversify the fund's support tools and effectively support supply chain stabilization projects, it is necessary to enhance the investment support strategy and devise measures to invigorate fund investment."