Eximbank opens Warsaw office to aid Korean firms in Europe

The state-run Export-Import Bank of Korea has opened a representative office in the Polish capital of Warsaw to strengthen financial support for Korean companies operating across Central and Eastern Europe, the policy lender said Thursday.

Launched at a ceremony Wednesday, the Warsaw office will serve as a regional base covering Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Ukraine — markets that have become key production and export hubs for Korean firms in batteries, autos and electronics.

The bank also aims to position the office as a frontline base for postwar reconstruction efforts in Ukraine.

Eximbank Chairman Yoon Hee-sung led the launch event, joined by Korean Ambassador to Poland Tae Jun-youl and senior figures from Poland’s state-run energy group Orlen, nuclear firm PEJ, development lender BGK and global banks including HSBC, ANZ and Citi.

Yoon held separate meetings with Orlen to discuss financing for a large-scale plant project involving Korean contractors, and with BGK to explore joint export and investment support.

“Through the Warsaw office, we will respond more swiftly to local business needs and reinforce ties with major project owners,” Yoon said.

Poland has recently become the most active buyer of South Korean defense equipment in the region, making it a key market for Korean arms makers.

In sectors like defense and nuclear energy, often conducted as government-to-government deals, policy lender involvement is seen as a core competitive edge.

Warsaw already hosts local units of Korean defense firms Hanwha Aerospace, Hyundai Rotem and Korea Aerospace Industries, along with tech and automotive conglomerates such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Hyundai Motor and Kia.