Saemaul Geumgo supplied a total of 217 billion won in policy funds in the first half of this year through sunshine loans, local government partnership loans and small business loans, among other products.

Saemaul Geumgo Central Association said on Sunday that policy funding supplied by Saemaul Geumgo branches nationwide totalled 217 billion won in the first half of this year.

By product, local government partnership loans accounted for the largest share at 163 billion won. Sunshine loans totalled 38 billion won, and small business loans 16 billion won.

Sunshine loans are a policy finance product that supports living stability for financially vulnerable groups based on guarantees from the Korea Inclusive Finance Agency. Local government partnership loans are a product that supplies low-interest funds to local self-employed people and others through agreements between local governments and Saemaul Geumgo. Small business loans support business stability for small merchants using policy funds from the Small Enterprise and Market Service. Interest rates by product are about 2 to 6 percent.

Saemaul Geumgo's policy funding supply increased to 295.8 billion won in 2023 from 312.3 billion won in 2024 and 405.2 billion won in 2025. It supplied 217 billion won in the first half of this year alone, and annual supply could exceed last year's level if the current trend continues.

Saemaul Geumgo operates about 70 percent of its 3,198 branches outside the Seoul metropolitan area. It also has about 460 branches in 89 regions designated as areas of population decline nationwide.

It is expanding policy finance supply by first introducing eligible customers to low-interest policy funding products such as sunshine loans when they visit for general unsecured loans or funding consultations.

Saemaul Geumgo Central Association plans to collect best practices by region for handling policy funds, share them with branches nationwide and use them in field sales.

A Saemaul Geumgo Central Association official said it would continue to expand policy funding support tailored to customer circumstances to support local economies.