Government to Further Extend the Loan Maturity Date and Grace Period for Small Business Owners "Until Next March" Says Koh Seung-beom

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Koh Seung-beom, chairman of the Financial Services Commission. Yonhap News

On September 15, Koh Seung-beom, chairman of the Financial Services Commission said, “We will extend the loan maturity date and grace period for small business owners until March 2022 and simultaneously implement measures to help an orderly return to normal.” This was the third time that the financial authority extended the COVID-19 Financial Support Program.

This day, in his opening comment at a meeting of the ruling party and government on financial support for SMEs and small business owners at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building, Koh said, “We agreed to extend the loan maturity date and grace period once more and at the same time implement additional measures for an orderly return to normal.”

The financial support program in response to COVID-19 was first implemented with the participation of banks in April 2020, when the novel coronavirus spread throughout the nation. Previously, the financial authority extended the program for six months twice. Due to the latest extension, the maturity date for loans of 210 trillion won and the loan grace period for principals amounting to 12 trillion won and interest of 200 billion won will be extended until July.

According to Koh, the financial authority will firmly establish measures ensuring a “soft landing” so that borrowers will not shoulder excessive loan repayment burdens even after the grace period by providing a deferment period and a longer loan repayment period. They will also help ease the burden before debtors with trouble repaying their loans end up with arrears by improving the banks’ pre-workout policy and the Credit Counseling and Recovery Service’s credit recovery policy. They will expand those eligible for such policies and reduce the interest to strengthen support. Koh said, “We will supply liquidity of approximately 4 trillion won through policy banks,” and added, “Financial authorities will supervise the situation to thoroughly manage any bad loans with a grace period.”