Progress in Credit Gurantee to SMEsApr 09, 2009

1. Loans to SMEs including micro-enterprises

Encouraged by the initiatives to boost credit guarantees and roll-overs the total loan amount extended to small-, medium-, and micro-enterprises, SMEs hereafter, has been steadily increasing despite the economic recession (Monthly average of KRW3.3 trillion).

Even compared to that in household loans (KRW1.1 trillion) and corporate loans (KRW0.7 trillion), the rate of increase in SME loans (KRW 3.3 trillion) is greater.

A mid-term liquidity through the Fast Track program was provided to 1,812 SMEs totaling KRW2.97 trillion during the month of March this year.

2. Supply of Credit Guarantee

Within the Q1 of 2009 the total amount of credit supply is KRW16.6 trillion, 2.3 times as big as that in the same term last year (KRW7.1 trillion), demonstrating smooth progress in the SME lending since the launch of the initiative.

* Please refer to the attached PDF for details.