Samsung Electronics will secure at least KRW 1 trillion (US$700 million) in state-backed supplier loan guarantees by 30 June 2027.

On 19 October, SK hynix and four banks contributed KRW 100 billion to state insurer K-SURE, unlocking KRW 2 trillion in guaranteed supplier loans with interest rates up to 2.5 percentage points lower. This gives SK hynix an advantage over Samsung, whose existing programme caps loans at KRW 9 billion per supplier and offers smaller financial benefits. Similar schemes have already spread across shipbuilding, with HD Hyundai Heavy joining in January 2026, followed by Hanwha Ocean and Samsung Heavy in May. Samsung is therefore likely to follow by contributing around KRW 50 billion to secure KRW 1 trillion in guarantees, as the government pushes chip industry financing towards KRW 5 trillion. Both chipmakers would then compete on similar financing terms, shifting the financial risk to K-SURE, which could guarantee KRW 3 trillion in loans backed by just KRW 150 billion in contributions. A sharp fall in memory-chip prices could leave the state insurer covering substantial supplier defaults.