KIND Expands Overseas Construction Opportunities with 1.4 Trillion Won Investment Supporting 21 Trillion Won in Orders

[Financial News] As the contraction of the domestic construction market increases the importance of securing overseas projects, the Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corporation (KIND) is expanding support for overseas orders, covering everything from project discovery to investment and financing. Since its establishment, KIND has supported approximately 21 trillion won in orders for Korean companies through direct investment and approximately 10 trillion won through policy funds. Next year, it will introduce the New Strategic Fund for Overseas Construction as a new support tool.
On the 9th, KIND said it participates in the entire process of overseas investment and development projects (PPPs), including project discovery and development through government-to-government (G2G) cooperation, direct investment, and the operation of policy funds. Once a project’s feasibility is confirmed, KIND links it with investment and financing. When necessary, it also forms a “Team Korea” involving financial institutions and public agencies to increase Korean companies’ chances of winning contracts.
Recent overseas infrastructure projects have grown larger, involved more stakeholders, and developed more complex financial structures. As a result, technical expertise and construction capabilities alone are no longer enough to win contracts. This has increased the public sector’s role in securing promising projects early and sharing development risks and investment burdens.
Established in 2018, KIND has directly invested approximately 1.4 trillion won in 36 projects across 20 countries, supporting approximately 21 trillion won in overseas orders for Korean companies. Through policy funds, it has approved approximately 2.3 trillion won in investments for 62 projects in 20 countries, supporting orders worth approximately 10 trillion won.
The floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) offshore plant project in Louisiana is a leading example of public-sector investment resulting in a major contract. KIND jointly invested approximately 200 billion won with the Green Fund and the Korea Ocean Business Corporation (KOBC), among others. Samsung Heavy Industries won an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract worth approximately 4 trillion won for the project, whose total cost is approximately 7 trillion won.
The government and KIND plan to further diversify their support tools starting next year. The New Strategic Fund for Overseas Construction, recently announced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), will combine government finances with KIND’s fundraising and investments from private and public entities in Korea and abroad. Its core aim is to secure the investment capacity needed to pursue large-scale overseas projects.
The New Strategic Fund for Overseas Construction will be developed in three forms: country-specific strategic funds, corporate matching funds, and global cooperation funds. Country-specific strategic funds will secure promising projects in advance through joint investments with the governments or sovereign wealth funds of partner countries. Corporate matching funds will have KIND invest alongside Korean companies in projects they identify, reducing their initial financial burden. Global cooperation funds will identify projects jointly with overseas investment institutions and developers, expanding opportunities for Korean companies to participate in large-scale projects that would otherwise be difficult for them to access.
A KIND official said, “With the domestic construction market in decline, overseas orders are an important breakthrough that can help Korean companies secure new projects and expand exports. Building on our accumulated experience in developing and investing in overseas projects, we will add new policy funds starting next year and strengthen support that connects every stage, from project discovery to investment, financing, and contract acquisition.”
[email protected] Choi Ga-young Reporter