The Export-Import Bank of Korea (www.koreaexim.go.kr, Chairman Yong Hwan Kim, “Korea Eximbank”) invited 39 domestic and foreign financial institutions to the ‘Seminar of Korea Eximbank, Investment Banks, and Domestic Financial Institutions’, held at the Korea Federation of Banks headquarters in Seoul on November 28.

The purpose of the seminar was for Korea Eximbank and foreign investment banks to impart their wealth of experience and know-how in overseas project finance (PF) to domestic financial institutions turning to PF markets abroad for new sources of profit, as well as to explore avenues of collaboration among the three parties.

Divided into two sessions, the seminar was attended by about 100 staff from 9 international investment banks including BNP Paribas and SMBC, as well as 30 major domestic financial institutions including Kookmin Bank and Shinhan Bank.

The first session covered global PF market trends, Korea Eximbank’s policy for supporting large-scale overseas projects, and the possibilities of cooperation among Korea Eximbank, foreign investment banks and major domestic banks.

The second session offered a detailed account of the overseas project financing experience of foreign investment banks, the market situation of developing countries, the legal considerations involved in overseas projects, and risk management methods.

Korea Eximbank Director of Planning and Coordination Group Gi Soeb Nam stated, “This seminar is meaningful in that it serves as an occasion for Korea Eximbank to pass on the know-how it has accumulated through years of financing overseas projects, while at the same time bringing together the Korean Financial Institutions Conference* and the IB Forum** under a single roof.”

* The Korean Financial Institutions Conference : a regular meeting of 24 financial institutions including domestic commercial banks, securities firms and insurers
** The IB Forum : a regular meeting between Korea Eximbank and 9 global investment banks

A participant from a domestic bank said, “The seminar taught me a lot about the overseas PF market, a subject which had previously eluded me. This certainly gives us greater confidence to explore opportunities to enter overseas PF markets in cooperation with Korea Eximbank or with investment banks.”