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Kim Bo-eun

Korea Times Digital Content Reporter

Bo-eun leads the digital content team. She has covered foreign affairs, North Korea, tech, economy and gender issues at The Korea Times. She did a short stint at the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, where she obtained a new perspective on news production and life. Small sources of joy for her are lounging in the sun, having a good latte and swimming.

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Banking & Finance

IBK suspends branch head for receiving money

By Kim Bo-eunThe Industrial Bank of Korea's headquarters in central Seoul. / Korea Times fileThe state-run Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) is in the hot seat after a series of misconduct incidents involving its employees. In the latest case, a branch head was found to have received tens of millions of won from a customer in exchange for providing convenience in services.According to the bank's inspection records from Rep. Yun Chang-hyun of the opposition People Power Party, the head of a branch in North Gyeongsang Province who served in the position through June was suspended for three months after the bank found he had received around 20 million won from a customer. The money was sent to the branch head's IBK account and used for personal purposes. IBK said it looked into the case after a tip-off and that the suspension was imposed on Aug. 31.This is not the first time an IBK staff member has engaged in misconduct.Last month, IBK found that an employee of a business branch in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, illicitly secured 7.6 billion won in loans for himself through family members to

Sep 25, 2020By Kim Bo-eun
IBK suspends branch head for receiving money
Banking & Finance

Citibank Korea set to see first female CEO

Yoo Myung-soon / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Kim Bo-eunCitigroup made headlines earlier this month by appointing its global consumer banking CEO Jane Fraser as its first female group CEO. Now attention is being drawn to the possible appointment of the first female CEO at Citibank Korea.Citibank's local unit is currently under the interim leadership of the lender's Senior Executive Vice President Yoo Myung-soon, after former CEO Park Jin-hei stepped down from the position last month.The lender's committee in charge of recommending candidates for executive positions will convene Friday to draw up a shortlist of candidates for the CEO position. The successful candidate will be selected at the second committee meeting early next month and the appointment will be finalized at a board meeting that will follow, according to the bank.Citigroup is known to hold influence over the appointment of unit heads around the world. Given the group's latest bold move, and Yoo's expertise, it appears the emergence of Citibank Korea's first female CEO could be possible.Yoo has more than 30 years

Sep 24, 2020By Kim Bo-eun
Citibank Korea set to see first female CEO
Banking & Finance

Kookmin Bank's mobile phone biz at risk?

KB Financial Group Chairman Yoon Jong-kyoo, third from right, applauds with KB Kookmin Bank CEO Hur Yin, second from left, and other officials at the bank's launch of Liiv M, a budget phone service at the Banyan Tree Club & Spa, Oct. 28, 2019. First from left is LG Uplus CEO Ha Hyun-hwoi and third from left is Financial Services Commission Vice Chairman Sohn Byung-doo. Courtesy of KB Kookmin BankKB's case illustrates possible conflict over new initiativesBy Kim Bo-eunKB Kookmin Bank's new line of business offering mobile phone plans in partnership with telecommunications firm LG Uplus continues to face setbacks due to hardline opposition from the lender's union.Last November, the bank launched its budget phone service Liiv M, which provides users with low-cost phone plans and convenient mobile banking services.Kookmin Bank has sought to break the prejudice against budget phones, which are commonly associated with low-quality services. Based on its partnership with LG Uplus, the lender is offering an unlimited 5G data plan that is significantly cheaper than existing plans offered

Sep 23, 2020By Kim Bo-eun
Kookmin Bank's mobile phone biz at risk?
Economy

FSS chief stresses need to monitor climate-related risks

Financial Supervisory Service Governor Yoon Suk-heun speaks at the agency's international conference on green financing, held at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Tuesday. / YonhapBy Kim Bo-eunFinancial Supervisory Service (FSS) Governor Yoon Suk-heun emphasized the need for monitoring climate-related risks Tuesday and presented a related stress test model developed by the agency.He referred to recommendations from the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) for central banks and supervisory bodies to assess climate-related risks of financial systems, and including this in the supervision of financial stability. The NGFS is a global network of central banks and supervisory authorities advocating a more sustainable financial system."Serious damage can be wrought on the financial system due to the shock stemming from climate change in the not too far future if no action is taken," Yoon said at an annual international conference hosted by the FSS from Ewha Womans University. This year's conference was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Yoon said the FSS' stress test model

Sep 22, 2020By Kim Bo-eun
FSS chief stresses need to monitor climate-related risks
Banking & Finance

Partnership with real estate investment platform

A model promotes Hana Bank's partnership with the real estate investment platform operator KASA Korea, in this photo provided Monday. The lender and KASA Korea launched the mobile application KASA, which enables people to invest small amounts in commercial real estate through digital asset-backed securities. / Courtesy of Hana Bank

Sep 21, 2020By Kim Bo-eun
Partnership with real estate investment platform
Economy

Why foreign firms are leaving Korea

By Kim Bo-eungettyimagesbankThe ongoing departure of foreign financial firms from Korea is drawing attention as to what is prompting their exodus and whether the government intends to address the issue. The companies are pulling out as the country's growth rate slows amid a time of prolonged low interest ratesDeteriorating profits have led to a number of foreign banks ― including Goldman Sachs, Barclays, UBS and the Royal Bank of Scotland ― to pull out of the local market in recent years. Foreign financial firms that remain in Seoul are seeking to reduce costs by scaling down branch numbers and cutting their workforces.Citibank sold the building it was headquartered in last year and has closed down nearly 100 branches since 2017.Deutsche Securities has drastically reduced its number of employees after the exit of its equity trading business here amid bleak business prospects ― it posted a net loss of 7.97 billion won last year.Among such foreign businesses, Prudential Life Insurance Company of Korea made the most recent departure. The U.S.-based Prudential Financial group sold its Ko

Sep 20, 2020By Kim Bo-eun
Why foreign firms are leaving Korea
Banking & Finance

NPS investment managers investigated for smoking pot

The file photo shows a building of the National Pension Service. / Korea Times fileBy Kim Bo-eunThe National Pension Service (NPS) with over 700 trillion won in assets under management, is in the hot seat after it was revealed that four of its investment managers were being investigated by police for allegedly smoking cannabis.The Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency stated Friday it had booked the four managers to question them over the allegations.It added that it has requested the National Forensic Service to conduct tests on hair samples after a urine analysis came back negative.The managers acknowledged the allegations during questioning.The investigation comes as a shock as the NPS is in charge of managing 752.2 trillion won. It dismissed the managers Sept. 9, after convening a disciplinary committee meeting.This is not the first time NPS employees have engaged in misconduct. NPS employees are banned from receiving money and goods from work-related people, but in October 2018, 114 were found to have been treated to overseas trips by foreign firms investing NPS funds.In February 201

Sep 18, 2020By Kim Bo-eun
NPS investment managers investigated for smoking pot
Banking & Finance

Who will bid for AXA Korea?

By Kim Bo-eunKorea Times fileAttention is focused on possible participants in preliminary bidding to take over French insurer AXA's Korean unit, which will close today.AXA's headquarters has selected Samjong KPMG as the lead manager for the sale. AXA Korea has focused on direct motor insurance, where insurance policies are sold online. Its loss ratio from car insurance has increased, leading to a net loss of 33.65 billion won last year.Shinhan Financial Group and Kyobo Life Insurance have been named as firms likely to take part in the bid.Shinhan Financial is expected to be willing to acquire AXA because it does not hold a non-life insurer in its portfolio. Given KB Financial Group's latest acquisition of the Prudential Life Insurance Company of Korea, Shinhan has been eyeing opportunities to expand its portfolio, as the top two financial groups engage in fierce competition.Kyobo Life, meanwhile, is seen to be interested in AXA as well. Kyobo Life in 2007 sold shares of its motor insurance unit launched in 2001.The firm, which has an online life insurer affiliate, Kyobo Life Planet,

Sep 18, 2020By Kim Bo-eun
Who will bid for AXA Korea?
Banking & Finance

Will Korea see second female CEO in insurance sector?

By Kim Bo-eunLina Korea COO Cho Jee-eun / Courtesy of Lina KoreaAttention is growing around the possible emergence of the second-ever female CEO in Korea's insurance industry.U.S. insurance group Cigna's local unit Lina Korea's Chief Operating Officer (COO) Cho Jee-eun is expected to succeed current CEO Benjamin Hong.Hong's official term ends at the end of the year, but he will step down in October, with Cho serving as acting CEO beginning next month.The industry view is that it is likely Cho will take the position of CEO.Observers say that Hong is making an early departure to reduce his influence as the long-standing CEO, thus enabling his successor and members of the firm to adjust to the leadership change."The matter will be finalized at a board meeting that is expected to take place in December," a Lina Korea official said.Cho as Lina Korea's COO, was promoted to vice president in December. Lina Korea entered the local market as the first foreign life insurer in 1987. The insurer has seen a stellar performance in past years.It is among the smallest life insurers in total assets,

Sep 17, 2020By Kim Bo-eun
Will Korea see second female CEO in insurance sector?
Banking & Finance

State-run banks lag in gender representation

By Kim Bo-eunKorea Development Bank's headquarters on Yeouido, Seoul / Korea Times fileThe Moon Jae-in government has emphasized the importance of gender representation at public institutions, but three years in, state-run banks still have some of the lowest numbers of female executives.The Korea Development Bank (KDB) and the Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) have no female executives, according to the government's classification of executives as being board members.This is the poorest representation among the eight institutions under the Financial Services Commission ― women make up 10 percent of the executives at the institutions.This compares with the 21.1 percent at all 129 state-run and quasi-government institutions.State-run lenders show poor representation despite growing movements around the world to improve gender representation.Citigroup stated last week it appointed retail banking head Jane Fraser as the group's next CEO, becoming the first among the top 10 U.S. banking groups to appoint a female chief. Korea's financial sector has also begun seeing increasing appointments o

Sep 16, 2020By Kim Bo-eun
State-run banks lag in gender representation
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