[DigitalToday reporter Lee Ji-young (이지영)] KB Kookmin Bank will team up with the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund and the Korea Technology Finance Corporation to supply about 350 billion won in guaranteed loans to companies in industrial complexes and regional manufacturers.

KB Kookmin Bank said on Wednesday it signed a business agreement with the two institutions for financial support to strengthen the competitiveness of industrial complex tenant companies and promote balanced growth in regional manufacturing.

The agreement is a follow-up measure to a business agreement signed in June last year with the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation to support the spread of ESG management and boost exports among industrial complex tenant companies.

Under the agreement, KB Kookmin Bank will provide the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund and the Korea Technology Finance Corporation with a special contribution of 2.5 billion won each and 2.5 billion won each in guarantee fee support. Total contributions to the two institutions will amount to 10 billion won, based on which the bank plans to supply about 350 billion won in guaranteed loans.

Companies covered by the special contribution agreement guarantee will receive a 100 percent guarantee ratio for 3 years and a 0.3 percentage point reduction in guarantee fees. For companies covered by the guarantee fee support agreement guarantee, KB Kookmin Bank will support guarantee fees by 1.0 percentage point a year for 2 years, totaling 2.0 percentage points.

Support will prioritize companies located in industrial complexes and will also include companies eligible for productive financial support from the two institutions.

A KB Kookmin Bank official said, "We hope this agreement will help ease the burden of financial costs for industrial complex tenant companies and support stable funding."