Korea Eximbank (www.koreaexim.go.kr Chairman Kim) announced on December 9 that the Bank has committed KRW 3 billion to support the export of the TV series Athena, a spy action drama blockbuster.

Production company Taewon Entertainment ltd., stated that the large production cost of KRW 2 billion has been covered and the company will be able to concentrate on improving the quality of the product thanks to the support from Korea Eximbank. The Bank's support decreased the risk of uncertainty and led to favorable progress of investment relations and sales of televising rights.

Athena is the sequel to Iris, a drama that was very successful in 2009. Athena is expected to be as successful as Iris and is scheduled for export to Japan and other Southeast Asian countries. The show will be aired beginning December 13.

An official from Korea Eximbank stated, "Support for Athena aims at promoting the cultural contents industry as the industry is expected to grow substantially in the future. Through this support, Korean soap operas are anticipated to improve in quality and contribute to continued expansion of the Korean Wave."

※ Korea Eximbank began supporting the culture contents industry in January 2008. Through continuous improvement of policy measures, the Bank has developed an effective and active support system which comprises a completion guarantee policy. As of November 2010, Korea Eximbank has provided assistance amounting to KRW 65.3 billion, twice the amount of the previous year.