SK hynix and four South Korean banks launched a financing program Monday that can provide up to 2 trillion won to domestic chip suppliers seeking funds for equipment and technology development.
Suppliers of semiconductor materials, parts and equipment must be recommended by SK hynix and pass a guarantee review by the Korea Trade Insurance Corp. (K-SURE). Approved suppliers can then seek financing through Hana Bank, KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank or Woori Bank.
SK hynix and the four banks contributed a combined 100 billion won. K-SURE guarantees support a financing capacity 20 times that amount, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said. The 2 trillion won figure is the program’s financing ceiling.
K-SURE will provide 100% guarantees for three years. The banks will offer interest rates up to 2.5 percentage points lower and cover guarantee fees in full for three years. The ministry also plans to set a maximum guarantee limit for semiconductor suppliers 50% above the limit for other industries.
The agreement is the largest involving a single company under the government’s Export Supply Chain Strengthening Guarantee, which began in August 2025. Before the semiconductor deal, the initiative had supported 2.4 trillion won in financing for industries including autos, shipbuilding and steel.
A separate project at SK hynix’s Yongin semiconductor cluster is intended to give suppliers a place to test materials, parts and equipment under production-scale conditions. The planned Trinity Fab has about 870 billion won in funding for 2025 through 2031 from central and local governments and private investment, the ministry said.
The government plans to expand semiconductor trade finance to at least 5 trillion won. It aims to bring financing across all sectors under the initiative to 10 trillion won by the end of 2026 and extend the program to defense, nuclear energy and biotechnology.
