BNK Financial Group launches 50 billion won fund to back southeastern Korea's strategic industries

BNK Financial Group announced Wednesday that it has completed the formation of the "BNK Productive Finance Strategy Fund," a 50 billion won ($32.3 million) investment vehicle jointly capitalized by its subsidiaries, and will begin deploying capital to expand productive-finance investment in southeastern Korea's strategic industries.

The fund was established to support the development of an industrial finance ecosystem in the southeast and to nurture innovative regional companies, in line with the management direction set for Chairman Bin Dae-in's second term. BNK Busan Bank, BNK Kyongnam Bank, BNK Capital and BNK Venture Investment jointly contributed 100 percent of the fund's capital, making it a group-wide investment platform.

BNK Venture Investment, which has extensive experience and expertise in regional investment, will manage the fund. Target investments include innovative companies with strong technology and growth potential in southeastern Korea's strategic sectors — shipbuilding and marine industries, aerospace, energy and chemicals, and defense and mobility. The fund aims to strengthen the competitiveness of regional industries and secure future growth engines.

The marine industry has been designated as the fund's first investment focus. The fund will prioritize companies in the southeastern marine and fisheries sector that demonstrate growth potential and innovation, with the goal of raising the competitiveness of the marine industry and building a track record of successful productive-finance cases.

Meanwhile, BNK Venture Investment has grown into a regional investment specialist since its founding in November 2019. As of end-2025, it had invested 111.8 billion won across 47 companies in the Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang region, concentrating its capital on growth-stage companies in the southeast's core industries.