KB Financial said on the 24th it held its third group productive finance council meeting at KB Kookmin Bank's new building in Seoul's Yeouido district and finalized a detailed execution plan.
The project will run on two pillars: "growth" to back companies and industries, and "hope" to expand inclusive finance. The 20 trillion won plan for this year consists of 2 trillion won for the Kookmin Growth Fund, 3 trillion won in group in-house investment, 12 trillion won in corporate loans and 3 trillion won in inclusive finance.
To expand venture investment and support promising companies, the group plans to create a corporate investment master fund of 200 billion won a year and invest a total of 1 trillion won over five years in advanced industries and other areas.
The fund is a mid- to long-term project financed solely with capital from affiliates including KB Kookmin Bank, KB Securities and KB Insurance. KB Financial said it will invest in a matching-fund structure linked to policy funds, aiming for a multiplier effect that could supply up to 10 trillion won in investment resources to the market over the next five years. It added that links to policy finance have been strengthened after KB Asset Management was selected as a manager for the government's "public participation fund."
KB Financial also said it will reorganize and refine evaluation systems to improve execution. It created dedicated working groups for investment banking and corporate lending. KB Kookmin Bank introduced a separate productive finance indicator into its 2026 key performance indicators, and said it will reflect preferential standards across branch profitability and growth assessments to speed a shift toward corporate finance.
To strengthen screening capabilities, the group set up an "advanced strategic industry screening unit" and hired outside specialists, including patent attorneys. Working with related institutions such as the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, KB Financial said it plans to build a comprehensive financial support system spanning the discovery of promising small and venture firms through the development of unicorn companies.
Kim Seong-hyeon, head of KB Financial's corporate and investment banking market division, said shifting to productive finance is "an essential task for the group's sustainable growth" beyond its social role, and said all affiliates must embed it into routine financial activities.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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