KB Kookmin Bank to Lead Financing for 'Korea's First' GPU Financing Deal, Providing 10.7 Trillion Won

[Financial News] KB Kookmin Bank has secured the mandate to arrange financing for an artificial intelligence (AI) computing infrastructure project worth approximately 12.6 trillion won. It is Korea's first graphics processing unit (GPU) financing deal and the largest syndicated loan arrangement on record.
According to financial industry sources on the 1st, KB Kookmin Bank will serve as lead arranger for an AI computing infrastructure project led by Brookfield Asset Management, a global alternative investment manager. Of the total project cost of approximately 12.6 trillion won, around 10.7 trillion won will be raised through loans, with KB Kookmin Bank set to oversee the financing arrangements.
The project will be carried out through a special-purpose company (SPC) established by Brookfield Asset Management. The SPC will secure AI computing infrastructure, including GPUs, and supply it to NAVER Cloud over the long term. Funds raised through loans are planned to be used to purchase GPUs and related equipment and build infrastructure.
KB Kookmin Bank led the entire financing arrangement for the deal, including structuring the financing and negotiating key terms. It designed a financing structure tailored to the project's characteristics and phased investment schedule, helping ensure that large-scale funding could be raised smoothly.
Major domestic banks and securities firms, including KB Kookmin Bank, will participate in the financing arrangement. Under the structure, funding will be raised based on cash flows from long-term supply contracts for AI computing infrastructure, with the aim of providing stable financing to AI infrastructure projects with high upfront investment costs.
The financing arrangement is seen as significant because it marks the expansion of large-scale project financing—which has traditionally focused on physical assets such as real estate and power plants—into the core AI infrastructure sector. In particular, it is drawing attention for establishing a structure in which financial institutions provide large-scale funding for GPU infrastructure projects with massive upfront costs, based on long-term supply contracts. Analysts say the banking sector is broadening the scope of productive finance emphasized by the government by moving beyond simple corporate loans and structuring financing to fit the business models of advanced industries.
KB Kookmin Bank plans to use this deal as an opportunity to further strengthen financial support for advanced strategic industries such as AI. A KB Kookmin Bank official said, "This financing arrangement is significant because it has pioneered a new area of finance with Korea's first GPU financing," adding, "We will continue to expand financial support for future growth industries and contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of domestic industry by promoting productive finance."
[email protected] Seo Ji-yoon Reporter