BNK Financial Group launches 'Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Economic Leap' project

BNK Financial Group said it will serve as a catalyst for regional economic recovery and growth by offering comprehensive financial support for both businesses and ordinary residents.

BNK announced Wednesday that it will formally launch the "BNK Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Economic Leap Project" at its second-half 2026 business briefing, centering the initiative on a planned corporate support center for the Busan-Ulsan-South Gyeongsang region and a new inclusive finance complex support center, with the aim of expanding productive and inclusive finance.

The project is grounded in the management philosophy that "the development of the regional economy is BNK's own growth." It pursues three goals: financial support linked to local government policy, expanded collaboration with regional strategic industries, and the identification of productive and inclusive finance initiatives to strengthen the competitiveness of the Busan-Ulsan-South Gyeongsang economy and build a sustainable growth foundation for the group. Alongside this, BNK will advance three core strategies for the second half of the year — a shift to industrial finance, stronger capital market capabilities, and AI and digital innovation.

The group will begin by transitioning to an "industrial finance" framework spanning the regional industrial ecosystem. Industrial finance is BNK's model for productive finance, connecting anchor companies in key local industries, their partner firms and employees into a single industrial ecosystem to provide integrated financial and non-financial services.

A planned corporate support center for the Busan-Ulsan-South Gyeongsang region will serve as the control tower for this effort. The center plans to build a rapid credit review and support system to assist companies facing temporary liquidity difficulties due to external conditions such as high exchange rates and high oil prices, and will also provide tailored non-financial services such as management consulting when needed.

The inclusive finance complex support center, which opened Friday, July 3, is the cornerstone of BNK's inclusive finance model. It will provide a full range of financial and non-financial services — including debt-burden relief for vulnerable groups, support for low-income residents, mid-rate loan supply and management consulting for small business owners — to ease financial hardship for local residents and help them achieve economic recovery.

"At a time when the region is at a turning point for a new leap forward, we will strengthen the role of a regional financial group and further solidify the foundation for growing together with the region," a BNK Financial Group official said. "In line with government and local government policy, we will continue to expand productive and inclusive finance that benefits regional industries and the regional economy."