[Digital Today reporter Ji-young Lee] NH Nonghyup Financial Group will push a “regional close-to-home finance project” as a key task in the second half. It plans to expand investment and lending to region-specific industries and companies and focus group capabilities on easing the financial burden of vulnerable groups and delinquent debtors.

Nonghyup Financial held its third Special Committee on “Productive and Inclusive Finance” on July 30 at NH Nonghyup Tower in Jongno district, Seoul, and reviewed its second-half plan, it said on July 31.

The meeting shared results from first-half productive and inclusive finance efforts and discussed major projects for the second half.

Nonghyup Financial selected the regional close-to-home finance project as its “NH Productive Finance No. 4” initiative.

It previously pursued NH Investment & Securities’ entry into the integrated investment account (IMA) business as Initiative No. 1, a carbon emissions allowance consignment trading-based “climate finance package” as No. 2, and “K-Food Scale-up” as No. 3 to expand agrifood investment funds and lending to agrifood companies.

In inclusive finance, it reviewed progress and the future schedule for establishing the “NH Smile Microfinance Foundation” (tentative name). It also discussed support for village enterprises through special contributions to regional credit guarantee foundations, support for co-prosperity insurance and insurance for vulnerable groups, and measures to help delinquent debtors get back on their feet.

In productive finance, it reviewed second-half plans to issue IMAs and ways to expand venture capital and agrifood investment funds. Support for region-specific industries using the Jeonbuk “NH Finance Hub” and the creation of follow-on funds for the “NH Mutual Growth Fund” were also selected as key projects.

Nonghyup Financial supplied a total of 14 trillion won in the first half, including 11.9 trillion won in productive finance and 2.1 trillion won in inclusive finance. Progress exceeded 70 percent of its internal management target.

Chairman Lee Chan-woo (이찬우) said, “As a region-friendly Nonghyup Financial, we must expand productive and inclusive finance that the public and companies can feel.” He added, “I ask all executives and employees to play an active role to revitalize regional economies.”