정부, 6조2천억 풀어 韓기업 해외 인프라사업 수주 전방위 지원<br /><br />There are growing concerns for the local economy... mainly due to slowing export growth and grim job figures.<br />To turn things around, the South Korean government has unveiled new measures to encouarge companies to win more orders to build infrastructure overseas.<br />Our Ko Roon-hee explains. <br />To boost the sluggish job market and increase exports, the South Korean government has promised more financial support to encourage companies to win infrastructure and power plant orders in other countries.<br />The announcement was made in an economic-related ministers meeting on Thursday... chaired by finance minister Hong Nam-ki. <br />Some of these countries have a high demand for infrastructure but are considered exceptionally risky, with credit ratings at or below B+.<br />So to mitigate the risk, the government will work with the state-run Export-Import bank to provide some extra financial security.<br />For instance, in the first half of this year, they will provide support worth 888-point-5 million U.S. dollars,... including loans and guarantees.<br />The finance ministry added, though, that this process will require laws and regulations to be changed.<br />The government also vowed to continue its work with related institutions to help companies win orders in less risky countries too.<br />The Export-Import Bank of Korea and the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation will increase financial support by around 1-point-8 billion U.S. dollars in 2019. <br />Over the past several decades South Korea has built hundreds of billions of dollars worth of infrastructure in other countries, mainly in the Middle East, but orders have been falling.<br />Last year's orders, worth around 32 billion dollars, were only about half of the amount five years earlier.<br />Ko Roon-hee, Arirang News.
