South Korea prepares $46 billion fund for national strategic industries

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox

The fund will be offered to firms across 12 industries over the next five years.

The fund will be offered over the next five years to firms across 12 industries designated as national strategic technologies.

PHOTO: AFP

Follow topic:

SEOUL - South Korea will establish a 50 trillion won (S$46 billion) policy fund to provide financial support to domestic companies involved in strategic technologies such as chips and autos amid intensifying global competition and protectionism, the government said on March 5.

“Competitiveness in advanced strategic industries has emerged to be the core of national economic security amid heightened external

uncertainty under the new US administration

,” the government said, calling it a “war without gun smoke”.

Since returning to office in January, US President Donald Trump has initiated

a series of tariff threats

targeting major trading partners and various industries, such as chips, autos and biopharmaceuticals.

The state-run Korea Development Bank’s fund will be offered to companies in national strategic industries in the form of cheap loans and other investments over the next five years.

South Korea in recent years has designated 12 industries as “national strategic technologies” with targeted financial support and protection to respond to intensifying global competition and the fragmentation of supply chains.

These include industries such as semiconductors, future mobility, rechargeable batteries, biopharmaceuticals, aerospace and artificial intelligence.

A financial support package prepared specifically for the semiconductor industry in 2024 will also be integrated into the fund. REUTERS

See more on