SEOUL, Jan 30, 2026, 15:32 (KST)
- K-Sure announced plans to offer 275 trillion won ($193 billion) in trade insurance in 2026, allocating 114 trillion won specifically for smaller companies.
- Citi’s Korea branch secured a $60 million K-Sure-backed loan for iMarketKorea’s industrial complex project in Texas. At the same time, K-Sure joined forces with Hanmi Bank to back financing in the U.S.
- Citibank is set to open a new branch in Bethesda, despite ongoing job cuts at its parent company in the U.S.
South Korea’s state-backed Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-Sure) announced it plans to offer a record 275 trillion won ($193 billion) in trade insurance for 2026, boosting support as Korean firms expand further into the U.S. market. Of that total, 114 trillion won ($80 billion) is earmarked specifically for small and medium-sized enterprises. “We will again break records in 2026,” CEO Jang Young-jin said at a press briefing. The Korea News Plus
The timing is crucial as Korean exporters and investors grapple with a tangled web of trade risks: unpredictable tariffs, fluctuating demand, and rising financing costs for overseas ventures. Increasingly, companies are opting to establish or acquire production facilities in the U.S. instead of relying solely on shipments from Asia.
Trade insurance isn’t a grant. It provides cover that helps exporters and their banks absorb losses when a buyer defaults or political and commercial shocks disrupt a deal. For a mid-sized firm aiming to finance a factory overseas, that safety net can be the difference between securing a loan or not.
K-Sure has been linking up U.S. banks with local channels. On Jan. 6 in Los Angeles, it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) — a non-binding cooperation agreement — with Hanmi Bank, a U.S.-based lender, to back Korean firms expanding stateside, according to The Korea News Plus. “We hope this partnership with Hanmi Bank … will provide meaningful support to Korean companies preparing to enter the U.S. market,” Jang said.
Citi’s Korea unit stepped in to help fund that expansion. Citi Korea teamed up with K-Sure to arrange a $60 million syndicated loan for iMarketKorea’s U.S. industrial complex project, serving as the sole coordinator, The Korea Times reported. Syndicated loans spread risk by involving multiple lenders instead of one bank shouldering the entire load.
The funds connect to an industrial complex in Taylor, Texas, where iMarketKorea aims to accelerate development, the report said. iMarketKorea offers maintenance, repair, and operations services—MRO—that keep factories and large facilities up and running. The company is pitching this project to Korean firms looking to establish U.S. production hubs.
Citi’s U.S. consumer division is expanding its physical presence, albeit modestly. Citibank plans to launch a second downtown Bethesda, Maryland branch this spring at 8101 Wisconsin Avenue, taking over a spot formerly held by TD Bank, according to a local Bethesda blog.
Citigroup is moving forward with cost reductions, preparing for another round of layoffs in March. This follows the recent elimination of roughly 1,000 positions earlier this month, sources told Reuters.
But the support isn’t straightforward. Trade insurance helps soften credit risk, but it can’t ensure U.S. projects ramp up on time or that demand stays steady if trade policies shift once more. Lenders face a key question: will the coming year bring consistent “friend-shoring” investment, or will it be a patchy ride shaped by tariffs and political moves?
