**Summary:**
KB Financial Group announced on the 7th that it will support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and small businesses struggling due to the ongoing domestic demand slump and mutual tariff measures by the United States. Specifically, through its major affiliate KB Kookmin Bank, it will operate a total of 8 trillion KRW in interest rate preferential programs. These programs aim to alleviate the interest burden on SMEs and small businesses by increasing the branch discretionary interest rate preference program from 1.5 trillion KRW to 3 trillion KRW and the temporary special interest rate preference program for small businesses in key strategic industries from 3 trillion KRW to 5 trillion KRW.
Additionally, KB Financial Group will make a special contribution of 23 billion KRW to both the Credit Guarantee Fund and the Technology Guarantee Fund to supply 840 billion KRW worth of guarantees. This initiative is designed to enhance financial support to manufacturers and exporters. Innovative growth companies and export companies with weak collateral and credit can receive a preferential guarantee agreement with a 100% guarantee ratio for three years or receive up to 1.5 percentage points of guarantee fee support.
Separately, KB Kookmin Bank, in partnership with the Credit Guarantee Fund, plans to quickly supply a total of 150 billion KRW in low-interest coexistence growth loans to support auto-related companies expected to face difficulties due to U.S. tariff measures.
A KB Financial representative stated, “We will actively support the stabilization of the financial market and funding for the real economy sectors, such as enterprises, through our support for SMEs and small businesses.”