Korea Trade Insurance Corporation

What Korea Trade Insurance Corporation does

Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-SURE) is South Korea's statutory export credit agency, established in 1992 under the Trade Insurance Act and operating under the supervision of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. It underwrites export credit insurance (short-term and medium/long-term), credit guarantees on corporate debt obligations owed to financial institutions, overseas project finance insurance, foreign exchange fluctuation insurance, overseas investment insurance against political risk, and import insurance for domestic manufacturers. Its primary customers are Korean small and medium enterprises needing access to trade risk transfer and financing, alongside large chaebols in shipbuilding, defense, energy, steel, and infrastructure pursuing strategic overseas contracts. K-SURE also acts as a direct lender through pre-emptive financing facilities (e.g., Romania defense, ADNOC green financing). Distribution combines direct sales from its Seoul headquarters and regional branches, a digital self-service channel via K-SURE ON, and indirect distribution through nine-bank partnerships (Bank-Namoo Forum) and KOTRA joint programs.

The technology stack centers on two internal platforms: K-SURE ON, a customer-facing portal for policy applications, enrollment, and document submission for corporate, bank, and special customers, and K-SIGHT, a big data platform aggregating decades of country risk ratings, importer credit information, and trade statistics to support underwriting and provide market intelligence to exporters. K-SURE issues Moody's AA2-rated debt-like instruments and operates the Trade Insurance Fund, with sovereign backing enabling it to absorb multi-billion-dollar single-project exposures (e.g., $2B ADNOC, €900M Serbia solar, $1B Romania defense). Revenue is generated through insurance premiums, guarantee fees, interest on financing, and investment returns on the Trade Insurance Fund's reserves; pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by country risk, buyer credit, and coverage scope, with up to 90% premium discounts available for qualifying SME programs.

Operationally, K-SURE is scaling rapidly beyond traditional manufacturing trade into new verticals (content, beauty, working capital for overseas subsidiaries) and new geographies (Eastern Europe, Middle East, Southeast Asia nuclear), often co-financing with Korea Eximbank and foreign ECAs such as Sweden's EKN. Recent strategic partnerships include the $150B Korea-US shipbuilding alliance and a $500M ADB Critical Minerals-to-Manufacturing facility. The organization is led by President and CEO Youngjin Jang, a former First Vice Minister at MOTIE.

Name

Korea Trade Insurance Corporation

Legal name

Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (한국무역보험공사)

Website

https://ksure.or.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-SURE) is South Korea's statutory export credit agency, providing trade credit insurance, credit guarantees, overseas project financing, and FX risk insurance to Korean exporters—primarily SMEs—across shipbuilding, defense, energy, and emerging content verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Export Credit Insurance

NAICS

Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers (52412), Insurance Carriers and Related Activities (524)

SIC

Insurance Carriers, Nec (6399), Surety Insurance (6351)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade Finance, Export Credit & Risk Mitigation (BPADAMAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Trade Compliance, Standards & Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT/SPS) (BPADAMAK)

Keywords

• Export credit insurance
• Trade insurance
• Credit guarantees
• Overseas project finance
• Foreign exchange hedging

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Export Credit Insurance Premiums: Insurance premiums collected from exporters for coverage against buyer default, political risks, and other trade-related losses. Covers short-term and medium/long-term export insurance.
2. Credit Guarantees: Export credit guarantees providing joint guarantee for corporate debt obligations to financial institutions, enabling easier access to financing for Korean exporters.
3. Overseas Project Financing: Pre-emptive financing and export financing support for international projects involving Korean companies, generating fees and interest income.
4. FX Risk Insurance: Foreign exchange volatility insurance products protecting exporters from currency fluctuation losses, offered as forward contracts or option-based products.
5. Import Insurance: Insurance coverage for import transactions including raw materials, parts, and equipment for domestic manufacturers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-SURE) is South Korea's statutory export credit agency providing trade insurance, credit guarantees, overseas project financing, FX risk hedging, and import insurance to Korean exporters, importers, and financial institutions. Its product suite spans short-term and medium/long-term export insurance, pre- and post-shipment credit guarantees, foreign exchange fluctuation insurance, overseas investment insurance, and overseas project finance insurance, supported by the K-SURE ON digital portal and the K-Sight big data risk analytics platform.

Product overview

Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-SURE) operates as South Korea's export credit agency providing a comprehensive suite of trade insurance and guarantee products. The core offering includes short-term export insurance (단기수출보험) products such as post-shipment insurance and SME-specialized programs (중소중견Plus+, 다이렉트), medium/long-term export insurance, credit guarantees (신용보증) for both pre and post-shipment financing, and foreign exchange risk insurance (환변동보험). K-SURE also offers overseas project finance insurance, investment insurance, and import insurance. These products are supported by digital platforms including K-SURE ON for online policy management and K-SIGHT for big data analytics and risk assessment. Supplementary services include TRADE-SURE consulting and the 수출성장 플래닛(Plan it!) growth program for SMEs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Short-term Export Insurance (Post-shipment)

Quantifiable outcome

• Record 268 trillion won trade insurance supply in 2024, supporting Korea's record USD 7,097 billion exports
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Korea-U.S. Strategic Investment Corp.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Five state-backed lenders including K-SURE signed agreement with Korean shipbuilders for $150 billion US shipbuilding investment initiative. The alliance aims to help Korean shipbuilders expand in US market while supporting Washington's domestic shipbuilding industry revitalization.
• Korea Ocean Business Corp.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Partner in the Korea-US Strategic Investment framework for shipbuilding cooperation, supporting Korean companies' participation in US shipyard acquisition, expansion, and modernization projects.
• Asian Development Bank (ADB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2026K-SURE signed $500 million memorandum for the Critical Minerals-to-Manufacturing Financing Partnership Facility, becoming inaugural partner in the catalytic finance window alongside Korea Eximbank. The facility aims to develop critical mineral supply chains across Asia-Pacific for clean energy, batteries, EVs, and digital technology.
• Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2026Korea Eximbank and K-SURE each signed $500 million memoranda as the facility's first partners in the ADB Critical Minerals to Manufacturing Financing Partnership Facility. Both institutions co-finance large-scale projects in developing member countries.
• Hyundai EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2026Lead Korean partner in consortium with UGT Renewables for Serbia 1GW solar power project. Hyundai Engineering leads the project contracted in October 2024, with K-SURE providing EUR 900 million export financing support.
• Vietnam National Industry-Energy Group (PVN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2026Four-party MOU signed in Hanoi to establish financing framework for Vietnam's nuclear power projects. The agreement builds on August 2025 Korea-Vietnam summit commitments and establishes a working-level consultative body for project financing.
• Vietnam Electricity (EVN)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2026KEPCO signed MOU with Vietnam Electricity covering power infrastructure cooperation including HVDC transmission, grid development, and battery energy storage systems, with K-SURE involvement for financing components.
• Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2025K-SURE provided $2 billion green financing facility for ADNOC's lower-carbon projects, representing ADNOC's first green financing facility supported by a Korean export credit agency. Combined with JBIC $3 billion transaction, ADNOC raised $5 billion in green financing within 18 months.
• Swedish Export Credit Agency (EKN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerK-SURE will reinsure Korean equipment supply risks through Sweden's export credit agency EKN for the Serbia 1GW solar project. This marks K-SURE's first direct participation in Serbia's national energy project and largest overseas eco-friendly energy venture for Korean companies.
• KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for joint SME export support programs, including emergency support measures for Middle East exporters, trade fraud prevention initiatives, and K-export star 500 program to develop 500 export-capable SMEs.
• Industrial Bank of KoreacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with IBK and K-SURE to support steel trading partners with 20 billion won contribution generating 400 billion won in preferential guarantees. Program offers below-market interest rates and collateral-free financing.
• PoscocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPosco partnered with K-SURE contributing 20 billion won to generate approximately 400 billion won in preferential guarantees for steel exporters. The program addresses liquidity challenges amid global tariffs and Chinese steel oversupply.
• Hanwha Ocean Heavy IndustriesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManufacturer of Dorian LPG's dual-fuel vessel 'Areion' at Okpo Shipyard. Export insurance provided by K-SURE for $62.9 million loan facility financing the 93,000-cbm vessel.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Korea Eximbank (Export-Import Bank of Korea): Korea's other state-backed trade and export finance institution. K-SURE and Eximbank frequently co-finance large deals (e.g., ADB Critical Minerals facility) and operate under similar MOTIE oversight, making Eximbank the closest direct peer to K-SURE's project finance and ECA activities.
• U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank): U.S. official export credit agency providing loan guarantees, export credit insurance, and direct loans. Functionally equivalent to K-SURE and a structural counterpart in co-financing of large cross-border projects.
• Japan's Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI): Japan's official ECA under METI. Provides trade insurance and overseas investment insurance virtually identical to K-SURE's product set, serving as the closest regional analog in Asia.
• UK Export Finance (UKEF): United Kingdom's official ECA providing export credit insurance, loan guarantees, and direct lending. Functionally a state-backed counterpart to K-SURE and a frequent co-financing partner on global projects.
• China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation (SINOSURE): China's official export credit agency, the largest by insured volume globally. Provides short-term and long-term export credit insurance plus overseas investment insurance, making it the closest scale-comparable counterpart to K-SURE.

Broad incumbents

• Euler Hermes (Allianz Trade): The world's largest trade credit insurer. Operates a global private-sector equivalent of K-SURE's export credit insurance business, serving exporters across multiple countries with comparable buyer-default and political-risk cover.
• Coface: Major French-headquartered trade credit insurer with global reach. Provides short-term export credit insurance and country/buyer risk intelligence (similar in scope to K-SIGHT), directly comparable in product line.
• Atradius: Dutch-headquartered trade credit insurance and debt collection provider. Competes in the same global trade credit insurance market as Euler Hermes and Coface and is a comparable incumbent for K-SURE's international private-market competitors.
• Korea Development Bank (KDB): Major Korean state-owned policy bank. KDB is a co-investor and co-financier alongside K-SURE in the Korea-US shipbuilding alliance and other strategic projects, making it a natural peer in policy lending and project finance.

Regional players

• CESCE (Spain's export credit agency): Spanish ECA primarily focused on supporting Spanish exporters with trade credit insurance and guarantees. Comparable as a regional, state-owned ECA that operates in overlapping geographies (Latin America, Europe) but does not directly compete in Korea.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCiLg4EXy60b_N2KFEmTdTWA
• Instagraminstagram.com/ksure.or.kr
• Facebookfacebook.com/eca.ksure
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/korea-trade-insurance-corporation-ksure-

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments6 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Korea Trade Insurance Corporation