SEJONG — The Sejong Special Self-Governing City (Mayor Cho Sang-ho) is joining hands with its municipal treasuries, NH Nonghyup Bank and Hana Bank, to participate in a regional growth fund creation contest aimed at boosting investments in local ventures and promising enterprises and building a robust industrial ecosystem.

The city announced on the 23rd that it held a business agreement ceremony at 10:30 a.m. in the Sejong Room of City Hall, attended by key officials including Mayor Cho Sang-ho, Park Sang-pil, head of NH Nonghyup Bank's Sejong Headquarters, and Lee Dong-yeol, executive vice president of Hana Bank.

This agreement was arranged to jointly participate in the regional growth fund creation contest newly promoted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups starting this year, and to stimulate investment in promising local venture and startup companies through the fund.

Under the agreement, NH Nonghyup Bank and Hana Bank will participate as investors in the creation of the Sejong City Regional Growth Fund, and the contributed capital will be invested locally within Sejong City.

Additionally, they will provide linked financial services such as financial consulting, fund management for targeted investment companies, and loans.

The primary targets for investment by the regional growth fund are the five strategic industries of the 5th term of city administration: ▲Semiconductors, Materials, and Parts (So-Bu-Jang); ▲Bio; ▲Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics; ▲Knowledge Services; and ▲Digital Contents.

The fund will support promising venture and startup companies currently located in Sejong City or those planning to relocate to the city.

The city plans to secure investment funds for the fund's creation, recruit investors, discover promising small and medium-sized venture companies for investment, and provide related information.

Park Sang-pil, head of NH Nonghyup Bank's Sejong Headquarters, stated, "We will actively support financial advice and services so that Sejong City's five strategic industries and promising venture companies can grow stably," adding, "As a leading regional financial institution, we will do our utmost to foster Sejong City's innovative companies and promote local symbiotic development."

Lee Dong-yeol, executive vice president of Hana Bank, noted, "Hana Bank has spared no support for citizens and small business owners to revitalize Sejong City's local economy," and shared, "We joined this agreement with the expectation that it will nurture promising ventures and companies settling in Sejong and contribute to the local economy."

Mayor Cho Sang-ho remarked, "Based on this agreement, we will diligently prepare for the regional growth fund contest so that administration, finance, investment, and enterprises can be interconnected within a single ecosystem and grow together."

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