Government Launches Rising Leaders 300 Program, Offering 30 Billion Won in Loans

The South Korean government is expediting its support program for promising mid-sized companies with high growth potential.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on July 27 that it will begin accepting applications for the second half of the 'Rising Leaders 300' program, a financial support initiative exclusively for mid-sized enterprises, until August 14.

Launched in 2023 in collaboration with Woori Bank, the Rising Leaders 300 program aims to identify and support mid-sized companies and potential candidates with high growth potential in four key areas: exports, research and development (R&D), environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, and AI transformation (AX).

Through biannual application rounds, the program has provided approximately 2 trillion won in funding to 225 companies as of the first half of this year. In the first half of 2026, 35 mid-sized companies received about 466 billion won in financial support.

This year's second half application period has been moved up from September to July to facilitate the early identification of promising mid-sized companies and timely funding.

Additionally, the program has revamped its digital transformation (DX) support area into an 'AX Leap' category. This change aims to enhance support for mid-sized companies that are leading the way in AX transformation and technological innovation, thereby securing new growth engines and fostering a cooperative ecosystem.

Selected companies will receive loans of up to 300 billion won, along with interest rate benefits of up to 1.0 percentage points, as well as non-financial services such as tailored consulting.

Interested companies can apply through the websites of Woori Bank and relevant specialized institutions. Following recommendations from these institutions and financial assessments by Woori Bank, the selected companies will be announced in early September.