Why did Moody’s and S&P rate KUIC in line with Korea’s sovereign rating?

Moody’s pointed to the Korean government’s very high willingness and ability to provide timely support, supported by strong credit links and ample financial reserves. S&P cited KUIC’s critical policy role and integral connection to the government, which it said made timely and sufficient support almost certain.

Korea-US investment firm gets credit ratings with stable outlooks

Q: What credit ratings did Moody’s and S&P assign to the Korea-U.S. Strategic Investment Corporation?

Moody’s Ratings assigned KUIC an Aa2 issuer rating with a stable outlook, and S&P Global Ratings assigned it long-term credit ratings of AA. The company said these were its first ratings since launching earlier in the year.

Q: How is Korea’s $350 billion investment pledge to the United States divided?

The pledge allocates $150 billion to shipbuilding cooperation and $200 billion to projects in various strategic sectors. Seoul and Washington reached the agreement in October last year in return for lower U.S. tariffs.

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Summary

The Korea-U.S. Strategic Investment Corporation (KUIC) received its first credit ratings, with Moody’s assigning Aa2 and S&P Global Ratings assigning AA, both in line with Korea’s sovereign rating. The agencies cited the Korean government’s strong capacity and willingness to support the state-run company. KUIC said the ratings could strengthen its credibility in international financial markets and support stable funding.

Key Facts

Moody’s assigned KUIC an Aa2 issuer rating with a stable outlook, while S&P Global Ratings assigned it long-term credit ratings of AA.
Moody’s cited strong credit links between KUIC and the Korean government, as well as the government’s ample financial reserves and creditworthiness.
S&P said its assessment reflected an almost certain likelihood of timely and sufficient government support, citing KUIC’s critical policy role and integral link with the government.
The National Assembly passed the Special Act for Korea-U.S. Strategic Investment Management in March, and KUIC officially launched in June.
The investment pledge comprises $150 billion for shipbuilding cooperation and $200 billion for projects in various strategic sectors.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 26, 2026 11:16 am KST

Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol speaks during a foundation ceremony celebrating the launch of Korea-U.S. Strategic Corporation held in Sejong, June 18. Courtesy of Ministry of Finance and Economy

Global credit rating agencies have assigned ratings in line with Korea's sovereign ratings to the state-run company tasked with implementing Seoul's $350 billion investment pledge to the United States, the firm said Monday.

The Korea-U.S. Strategic Investment Corporation (KUIC) said Moody's Ratings assigned it an Aa2 issuer rating with a stable outlook, while S&P Global Ratings assigned it long-term credit ratings of AA.

These were the company's first credit ratings since its launch earlier this year.

"KUIC's rating is driven by the Government of Korea's very high willingness and ability to provide timely support, given the strong credit linkages between KUIC and the Government of Korea," Moody's Ratings said in a release.

"The government's strong ability to support KUIC is underpinned by the sovereign's ample financial reserves and strong creditworthiness, as reflected in its Aa2 rating," it added.

S&P Global Ratings noted its assessment of KUIC reflects its view that "the institution has an almost certain likelihood of receiving timely and sufficient support from the Korean government in times of need."

"This is based on the institution's critical policy role for, and integral link with, the Korean government. We therefore equalize our ratings on KUIC with the sovereign rating on Korea," S&P added.

KUIC said the latest ratings would help bolster its credibility in international financial markets and pave the way for stable funding.

The company officially launched in June after the National Assembly passed the Special Act for Korea-U.S. Strategic Investment Management in March.

In October last year, Seoul and Washington reached an agreement on Korea's $350 billion investment pledge made in return for lower U.S. tariffs.

The investment will comprise $150 billion for shipbuilding cooperation and $200 billion for projects in various strategic sectors.

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