Journalist

Kim yoon seop
  • KB Kookmin Bank Expands QR Payments Across Indonesia in KB Star Banking App
    KB Kookmin Bank Expands QR Payments Across Indonesia in KB Star Banking App KB Kookmin Bank said April 2 it has expanded its cross-border QR payment service, “KB Star Banking Overseas Payment Service,” to cover all of Indonesia. The service, operated through the Korea Financial Telecommunications & Clearings Institute, links Korean financial firms with overseas payment institutions so users can make QR payments abroad through their home-country banking apps. KB Kookmin Bank said it now offers the service in 12 countries and regions, including Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan and Hawaii. With the expansion, customers can pay using QR codes in the KB Star Banking app at more than 32 million merchants across Indonesia. The bank said it is the first in South Korea to directly connect, using the institute’s payment infrastructure, to Indonesia’s national QR network, QRIS, enabling payments in local currency without double currency conversion. “This expansion improves access and convenience so customers can pay overseas in a familiar way,” a KB Kookmin Bank official said. The official added the bank will continue expanding its global payment infrastructure to provide financial services that fit naturally into customers’ daily lives.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-02 08:54:00
  • South Korea’s Big Five Banks See Household Loans Fall in March on Tighter Rules, High Rates
    South Korea’s Big Five Banks See Household Loans Fall in March on Tighter Rules, High Rates Major commercial banks’ household loan balances fell last month for the first time in two months, as stricter lending rules and high interest rates drove a sharp decline in mortgage lending. According to the financial sector on Tuesday, the combined household loan balance at the five largest banks — KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori and NH NongHyup — stood at 765.729 trillion won at the end of last month, down 136.4 billion won from a month earlier. After falling in December and January, the total edged up in February but slipped again. Mortgage loan balances fell to 610.3339 trillion won, down 387.2 billion won from the end of February. Mortgages turned lower in January for the first time in 1 year and 10 months, rebounded in February, but failed to sustain the rise. Unsecured credit loans, however, returned to growth. Personal credit loan balances totaled 104.6595 trillion won at the end of last month, up 347.5 billion won from the previous month, reversing a decline that had continued since December. Time deposits fell 9.4332 trillion won in a month to 937.4565 trillion won, and installment savings deposits slipped by 251.2 billion won. Demand deposits rose 15.0477 trillion won to 699.9081 trillion won. The downtrend in household lending is expected to persist for the time being. Financial authorities on Tuesday announced a “household loan management plan,” lowering this year’s target growth rate for household lending to 1.5% and introducing a total-volume cap that separately manages mortgage lending.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-01 16:09:00
  • Citi Korea Marks International Women’s Day With Talk by Inertia CEO Kim Hyoi
    Citi Korea Marks International Women’s Day With Talk by Inertia CEO Kim Hyoi Citibank Korea said March 31 that it held a special lecture for employees on March 30 featuring Kim Hyoi, CEO of startup Inertia, to mark International Women’s Day 2026. The session, titled “Startup leadership that challenges inertia,” was designed to prompt employees to examine organizational habits and consider change, the bank said. Citi marks International Women’s Day each year with programs involving employees worldwide, including lectures, panel discussions and networking events, it said. Inertia is a startup founded by women scientists from KAIST. It has recently expanded overseas through entry into the U.S. market and sales on Amazon. Kim decided to launch the company while researching quantum engineering and medical artificial intelligence at KAIST, aiming to use technology to address everyday inconveniences. In 2024, Forbes Korea named her to its “30 Under 30” list. In her talk, Kim described practical constraints startups face when entering the market and shared bias she experienced as a woman founder. “The law of inertia applies in our daily lives, too,” she said. “It’s not that it can’t be done — we just haven’t tried it yet. Change in an organization becomes possible when leaders first ask questions that break existing inertia.” Yoo said Kim’s story offered a chance to reflect on the leadership needed in a changing environment. She added she hoped the lecture would help employees seek new possibilities in their work. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-31 15:46:07
  • NH NongHyup Bank’s NH Specialized Tech Finance Tops 500 Billion Won
    NH NongHyup Bank’s NH Specialized Tech Finance Tops 500 Billion Won NH NongHyup Bank said on the 31st that its lending under “NH Specialized Technology Finance” has exceeded 500 billion won this year, accounting for 38.5% of its total technology-finance supply. The program is part of the bank’s “productive finance” initiative, offering tailored funding to 162 agrifood-related business categories. It focuses on expanding technology-based financing, mainly for small and midsize companies linked to the agrifood industry. The bank said new support for SMEs outside the Seoul metropolitan area made up 77.8% of the total, highlighting region-based financing. As of the end of 2025, the bank’s outstanding technology-finance balance rose 6.0% from a year earlier to 21.1 trillion won. Of that, the NH Specialized Technology Finance balance was 8.6 trillion won, including 6.7 trillion won supplied to non-capital regions. The bank’s technology-finance product, the “NH Loan for Top-Rated Technology-Evaluated Companies,” surpassed 1 trillion won in outstanding balance nine months after launch and exceeded 2 trillion won seven months later. A bank official said the lender plans to expand technology-finance support centered on facility funding for advanced, venture and innovative companies, and will continue to broaden NH Specialized Technology Finance to strengthen its role as a provider of productive finance nationwide.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-31 15:03:00
  • Korean Banks’ BIS Capital Ratios Edge Down on Bigger Dividends, Weaker Won
    Korean Banks’ BIS Capital Ratios Edge Down on Bigger Dividends, Weaker Won At the end of last year, South Korean banks’ capital ratios under the Bank for International Settlements framework slipped slightly from the previous quarter, reflecting larger dividends tied to expanded shareholder returns and the impact of a weaker currency. The Financial Supervisory Service said on Monday that banks’ total capital ratio stood at 15.83% at the end of 2025, down 0.09 percentage point from the end of the previous quarter. The common equity Tier 1 ratio was 13.51% and the Tier 1 capital ratio was 14.80%, down 0.12 percentage point and 0.08 percentage point, respectively. The leverage ratio was 6.76%, down 0.07 percentage point. BIS capital ratios measure capital relative to risk-weighted assets and are a key gauge of banks’ financial soundness. The FSS said net profit remained solid, but year-end dividends tied to expanded shareholder returns reduced common equity. It added that rising exchange rates increased risk-weighted assets for foreign-currency loan portfolios. Regulators require banks to keep the common equity Tier 1 ratio above 8.0%, the Tier 1 ratio above 9.5% and the total capital ratio above 11.5%. All domestic banks exceeded those thresholds. By bank, KB, Woori, Citi, SC, the Export-Import Bank of Korea, Suhyup, Kakao Bank and Toss Bank each posted total capital ratios above 16.0%, which the FSS described as very stable. BNK remained below 14%, a relatively low level. Among the five major financial holding groups, total capital ratios were KB at 16.16%, Woori at 16.13%, Shinhan at 15.92%, NongHyup at 15.63% and Hana at 15.61%. Common equity Tier 1 ratios were above 14% at Citi, SC, the Export-Import Bank of Korea, Suhyup, Kakao Bank and Toss Bank. KB, Hana, Shinhan and Korea Development Bank were above 13%, indicating generally sound levels. Thirteen banks saw their common equity Tier 1 ratios fall from the previous quarter, including Citi (-2.67 percentage points), SC (-1.62), Kakao Bank (-0.70), Korea Development Bank (-0.61) and K Bank (-0.48). Four banks posted increases: Suhyup (3.98), the Export-Import Bank of Korea (0.66), Hana (0.05) and iM (0.03). An FSS official said banks should prepare for the possibility of larger credit losses and weaker capital ratios amid heightened geopolitical risks, including the situation in the Middle East, as well as high oil prices and elevated exchange rates. The official said the watchdog will strengthen monitoring of capital adequacy and continue to encourage banks to bolster loss-absorbing capacity so they can maintain soundness while carrying out plans for “productive and inclusive finance.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-31 09:00:00
  • Hana Bank Partners With Public Delivery App Meokkabi, Plans Card and Low-Rate Loans
    Hana Bank Partners With Public Delivery App Meokkabi, Plans Card and Low-Rate Loans Hana Bank is entering the food delivery app market through a partnership with the public delivery app Meokkabi. According to the financial industry on the 30th, Hana Bank signed a strategic alliance with Meokkabi and agreed to pursue joint projects. Meokkabi promotes what it calls the industry’s lowest commission rate, about 1.5%. It charges no advertising, exposure or fixed fees. Some delivery apps charge brokerage commissions of about 9% to 10% and add advertising fees. Rather than operating its own delivery app like Shinhan Bank’s Ttaenggyeoyo, Hana Bank plans to expand market share by supporting Meokkabi. To boost usage, Hana Bank plans to launch a Meokkabi-branded Hana Card in the first half of the year. It will also promote and market Meokkabi through Hana Financial Group platforms such as Hana 1Q. As part of efforts to strengthen inclusive finance, Hana Bank will provide low-interest loans to Meokkabi merchants through contributions to the Incheon Credit Guarantee Foundation.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-30 18:30:00
  • NH NongHyup Financial to Launch $1 Billion Shared Growth Fund for Strategic Industries
    NH NongHyup Financial to Launch $1 Billion Shared Growth Fund for Strategic Industries NH NongHyup Financial Group said on the 26th it will create the "NH Korea Shared Growth Fund" (tentative name) totaling 1 trillion won. The fund is intended to support the successful rollout of the government’s flagship growth policy, the "National Growth Fund," and to foster advanced strategic industries. It will be formed in two rounds within the year, with all 1 trillion won to be contributed by NongHyup affiliates. Investments will focus on national advanced strategic industries such as artificial intelligence and digital technology. In infrastructure investment and lending, the group plans equity investments in projects building out strategic-industry infrastructure and to provide funding through the project financing (PF) stage. The aim is to help national strategic infrastructure projects grow on a stable footing. PF is a financing method that raises funds based on expected future cash flow and project viability. Direct investments will concentrate on government initiatives to develop advanced strategic industries, including efforts described as fostering a "K-Nvidia." NongHyup Financial also said it will support the selection of sub-fund managers chosen under financial regulators’ plans for policy funds, and it expects to participate as a major investor in individual funds to be created. The group plans to form a first fund of 500 billion won as early as next month and deploy it in infrastructure investment and lending. NH-Amundi Asset Management will serve as the general partner. Chairman Lee Chan-woo said the fund will serve as a "reliable pillar" for nurturing advanced strategic industries and revitalizing regional economies. He said all NongHyup Financial affiliates will unite to take the social responsibility of finance and proactively cooperate with national growth policies through what he called productive finance. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-26 17:21:00
  • NH NongHyup Bank CEO Kang Tae-young Opens Pangyo Corporate Finance Center, Pledges Tailored Support
    NH NongHyup Bank CEO Kang Tae-young Opens Pangyo Corporate Finance Center, Pledges Tailored Support Kang Tae-young, CEO of NH NongHyup Bank, has stepped up on-site management as the bank seeks to expand what it calls productive finance. The bank said on the 26th that Kang attended the opening ceremony the previous day for the Pangyo Corporate Finance Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The center is tasked with focusing support on future growth industries tied to the Pangyo area, including artificial intelligence, data, information technology and semiconductors. Kang said the bank will “take the lead in fostering and supporting growth in advanced technology industries” by reflecting the characteristics of local client companies, and will “expand region-tailored productive finance to boost economic vitality.” Also on the 25th, Kang visited the Gyeonggi Business and Science Accelerator, which supports small and midsize companies and industrial innovation, to assess on-the-ground demand for financial services. He then went to the bank’s Gyeonggi headquarters and said he would continue field-focused management so that feedback from front-line staff can be translated into practical financial support policies. A bank official said the Pangyo foothold will be used to strengthen financial solutions tailored to specialized industries by region. The official said the bank plans to continue on-site management by touring major regions nationwide to expand cooperation with companies and institutions and to hear from employees. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-26 09:36:00
  • Shinhan Bank, KODIT to Provide 123 Billion Won in Support for Non-Capital Firms
    Shinhan Bank, KODIT to Provide 123 Billion Won in Support for Non-Capital Firms Shinhan Bank said March 26 it signed an agreement with the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund to expand “productive finance” and support growth recovery for companies outside the Seoul metropolitan area. The program targets firms with headquarters or business sites in non-capital regions, aiming to strengthen local industrial bases and help key regional companies recover and grow. Shinhan Bank plans to provide 123 billion won in guarantees and additional support for guarantee fees to reduce financing costs. It will offer preferential guarantee ratios and fee reductions to improve funding conditions and support stable investment and expanded hiring. Eligible companies include regional leading-industry firms, regional cooperation-industry firms, small and medium-sized companies relocating to 지방 areas, and “regional core” companies. A Shinhan Bank official said the agreement focuses on strengthening local economies’ resilience and growth foundations through proactive financial support for regional hub companies, adding that the bank will continue to expand practical support that non-capital firms can feel. Separately, Shinhan Bank has participated since March 19 with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Credit Guarantee Foundation in the “Seoul-type Small Business Relief Credit Line Support Program No. 3.” The product is a non-face-to-face revolving credit line for small business owners, with Shinhan Bank covering the credit-line arrangement fee and guarantee fee. The bank also plans to run a financial counseling booth at the “2026 Small Business Support Expo,” held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza from March 26 to 27, to provide locally focused financial assistance.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-26 09:03:32
  • Deposit-Backed Loans Rise at South Korea’s Top Banks as Stock Leverage Persists
    Deposit-Backed Loans Rise at South Korea’s Top Banks as Stock Leverage Persists 'Borrowing to invest' remains strong. Even as uncertainty persists after the Middle East situation, borrowing is rising not only through unsecured credit loans but also through loans backed by deposits. With tough government rules slowing growth in mortgage lending, leveraged stock investing is emerging as a new variable in managing household debt, analysts say. According to the financial sector on the 24th, the outstanding balance of deposit-backed loans at the five major banks — KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori and NH NongHyup — totaled 6.3069 trillion won as of the 20th. That is nearly 10% higher than 5.8446 trillion won in March last year and the highest level on record. The balance has continued to rise this year, reaching 6.2290 trillion won in January and 6.2690 trillion won in February. Deposit-backed loans allow borrowers to take out about 90% to 95% of the value of their deposits, depending on the bank. Interest rates are typically set at the deposit rate plus about 1 to 1.5 percentage points. The rapid increase is being attributed to the combination of strict lending curbs that have continued since last year and a strong stock market. Some borrowers are using deposit-backed loans — which are excluded from debt service ratio rules that reduce personal loan limits — to fill funding gaps, or to use them like a credit line for stock investing, analysts say. A commercial bank official said market volatility has increased since the Middle East situation, but many investors appear to see it as a buying opportunity. The official said demand seems to be rising because rates are relatively low and borrowers can respond by canceling the deposit if they cannot repay. Buying by retail investors has continued to expand despite heightened uncertainty. On the 23rd, foreign investors net sold 3.6984 trillion won on the Korea Exchange’s main board, pulling the index lower, and institutions sold 3.8172 trillion won. Individuals, however, net bought 7.0030 trillion won, the largest net purchase on record. Margin debt, a key gauge of leveraged investing, also remains near peak levels. Data from the Korea Financial Investment Association show the balance hit 33.7 trillion won on the 5th, then slipped to the 31 trillion to 32 trillion won range, but has held in the 33 trillion won range again since the 16th. Financial officials say stock-market leverage could become a new factor in household debt management as overall household lending begins to expand again, centered on deposit-backed and unsecured loans. As of the 20th, household loan balances at the five major banks totaled 766.2606 trillion won, up 395.1 billion won from the end of last month (765.8655 trillion won). Over the same period, mortgage loans fell 40.0 billion won to 610.6811 trillion won, suggesting other lending — including deposit-backed loans — drove the increase. Another financial sector official said demand to pull together funds is growing as investors seek to take advantage of increased volatility. But the official warned that loans taken for short-term investing can shift in size and repayment timing depending on market conditions, and said deposit-backed lending should be watched closely.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-24 17:03:00