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Lee Kyung-min

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Banking & Finance

Hana Financial renews commitment to strengthen customer service on 20th anniversary

Hana Financial Group reaffirmed its continued efforts to enhance financial services, as part of a long-term growth strategy that creates value beyond traditional banking, the group said Monday. Hana plans to strengthen customer-centric innovation, leading to more personalized digital banking services, while its culture of collaboration will continue inspiring employees to prioritize innovation and sustainable growth. The group will seek to become a leader not only in profitability but also in shaping the role of finance, integrating corporate social responsibility with business strategy. The commitment came on the occasion of the group’s 20th anniversary held at its headquarters in Myeong-dong. More than 200 executives and employees, as well as Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo attended the event. The anniversary ceremony highlighted the group’s journey over the past two decades. Ham reflected on the group’s history, emphasizing how it navigated multiple economic crises by embracing innovation, collaboration and spirit, a combination the group defines as “Hana’s DNA.

Dec 1, 2025By Lee Kyung-min
Hana Financial renews commitment to strengthen customer service on 20th anniversary
Others

Customer backlash intensifies over Coupang data breach

Kang Ji-eun, 38, an office worker in Seoul, is absolutely furious over the Coupang data breach. “This is not some small operational glitch, but an institutional failure affecting customers’ personal life,” Kang said. “Coupang just let it happen? The fact that they’re saying ‘payment information is safe’ is far from reassuring. If that information is safe, why didn’t they have something to protect against the data breach? It makes no sense. I just don’t trust the platform anymore.” She also said Coupang should offer real, substantial compensation. “I don’t want excuses or apologies or meaningless promises. I want to see them take responsibility. Concrete responsibility.” What makes Kang even more frustrated is that she still has to use the overnight delivery services. “My elementary school children need school supplies and I sometimes need household goods too. I’m seriously thinking about finding another platform that can meet my needs. I will watch how Coupang responds closely.” Lee Min-soo, 35, said he is angry because Coupang deliberately downplayed the

Dec 1, 2025By Lee Kyung-min
Customer backlash intensifies over Coupang data breach
Banking & Finance

MetLife Korea expands 'customer service week' to enhance groupwide engagement

MetLife Korea has expanded this year’s customer service week (CSW) into a six-month, companywide program, as part of efforts to strengthen commitment to customer-oriented management, the life insurer said Friday. The drive seeks to foster a culture of prioritizing customer advocacy and integrating it into everyday practices, a goal that requires groupwide engagement of all employees beyond the customer-facing service staff. CSW is a global campaign led annually by the customer service and operations division under the life insurer’s global headquarters during the first week of October. The expanded drive included creating this year’s customer advocacy brochure and strengthening programs to build customer service capability by providing tailored sales. During the program, the company held a ceremony to appreciate the hard work of top-performing customer service employees, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening its culture of customer advocacy. MetLife Korea plans to produce an internal customer storybook based on the outcomes of the drive. It will feature more than 100 customer s

Nov 28, 2025By Lee Kyung-min
MetLife Korea expands 'customer service week' to enhance groupwide engagement
Others

Working parents, small businesses up in arms over ruling party’s move to scrap overnight deliveries

Kim Yoo-jung, 41, a working mother, said she recently signed a petition on the National Assembly’s website opposing the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s (DPK) move to scrap overnight deliveries. “I often order late [in the] evening when my elementary school boy needs materials for school the next morning,” she said. “Without overnight delivery, I would have no way to get those in time, since I can’t take time off work. I think I speak for almost all working parents when I say the service is saving a lot of time and energy. Scrapping it would hit working families the hardest.” Similarly, An Sang-won, a small eatery owner, says his business heavily depends on the service for ingredients. “My entire business depends on receiving fresh ingredients before sunrise,” he said. Without overnight delivery, he says he would have to change opening hours, menu prices and maybe even the business model. “I don’t have time to go shopping for fresh vegetables early in the morning, which takes at least two hours. Time and energy are money. Overnight delivery helps me better manage m

Nov 28, 2025By Lee Kyung-min
Working parents, small businesses up in arms over ruling party’s move to scrap overnight deliveries
Banking & Finance

Regional financial groups see nonbanking biz overtake banking as key profit drivers

Regional financial groups are seeing their nonbanking subsidiaries outperforming their banking units, a major shift in their decades-long revenue structure, market watchers said Wednesday. Their capital, car financing, savings banks and securities subsidiaries are reporting increases in profit, driven by successful diversification strategies moving away from leasing or installment financing into car rental services and investment banking. Also at play is declining profitability of regional banks amid soaring delinquency rates, which have tripled to the average of their Seoul-based major peers. This led to greater share of nonbanking operations in the financial holding firms’ income. According to financial market data, the combined net profit of the three major regional financial groups — BNK, iM and JB — reached 1.78 trillion won ($1.21 billion) in the first nine months of the year, up 17.1 percent from a year earlier. JB Financial’s capital subsidiary specializing in rental car and used car financing posted a net income of over 211 billion won in the first nine months. This is m

Nov 26, 2025By Lee Kyung-min
Regional financial groups see nonbanking biz overtake banking as key profit drivers
Banking & Finance

Recipient of Woori Multicultural Scholarship Foundation grateful for friendship, training

Lim Ji-hye, a recipient of the Woori Multicultural Scholarship Foundation, said Wednesday that she enjoyed being part of the choir activities organized by the public-interest foundation under Woori Financial Group. Participating in the choir was a truly enjoyable experience, she said. “I loved being able to sing and spend quality time with friends who share a similar background as me. At first, it was a bit awkward since we didn’t know each other well, but through practice and shared experiences, we became close and supportive of one another.” Performing on stage gave her a sense of confidence that went beyond singing, she added. “It helped me develop a positive mindset of ‘I can do it’ in everyday life as well. I’m glad I could be a part of the choir.” Being in the choir and performing on various stages has been an incredibly rewarding experience for her. "Singing and doing choreography in front of many people taught me how to be more confident. I also learned how to stay calm when I feel nervous. Because of this, when I have to give a presentation at school or speak in f

Nov 26, 2025By Lee Kyung-min
Recipient of Woori Multicultural Scholarship Foundation grateful for friendship, training
Banking & Finance

Hana Financial to nurture data experts in AI era

Hana Financial Group plans to nurture 3,000 data specialists by 2027, as part of a long-term strategy to foster the global banking industry as it increasingly embraces artificial intelligence (AI) data operations, the group said Wednesday. The new experts will help the group strengthen risk assessment, data-backed personalized services, operational efficiency and fraud prevention, all bolstered and accelerated by strong data capabilities. The announcement came during the graduation ceremony for the third class of the Hana Data eXpert Program (DxP), held at the group’s headquarters in Seoul, Tuesday. The new goal is the latest development in the group’s 2022 initiative, “2500 by 2025,” where Hana pledged to train 2,500 data experts by 2025. The Hana DxP program is designed to nurture employees who can combine technical data skills with financial expertise. Members of the latest course completed a three-month training where they deepened their understanding of data management theories, hands-on data analysis and AI tool training. Also included were financial data analytics, coding,

Nov 26, 2025By Lee Kyung-min
Hana Financial to nurture data experts in AI era
Others

Salaried workers dismayed social welfare benefits exceed NPS payouts

Kim Ji-hoon, 41, an office worker in Seoul, says he couldn’t help but feel speechless at the news about the country’s state-paid monthly subsidy for the poorest households exceeding the National Pension Service (NPS)'s average monthly payout. “I’ve been paying a monthly NPS premium for 17 years, since I began my job at a company in Seoul,” he said. “The news I might receive less than someone who paid nothing at all was unsettling to put it mildly.” Kim said he has nothing against government welfare programs designed to protect society’s most vulnerable. However, he expressed surprise that low-income groups could receive more in monthly income than him, since decades of his contributions to the state-run pension system do not guarantee his post-retirement well-being. “I mean, the monthly premium is taken from salaried workers in the form of withholding tax, meaning I cannot refuse to subscribe to it even when I don’t want to. The fact that vulnerable groups that have not made any contribution at all may receive more than me is just not right.” He said he is not demoni

Nov 26, 2025By Lee Kyung-min
Salaried workers dismayed social welfare benefits exceed NPS payouts
Others

Leveraged borrowers face higher interest burdens as market rates inch up

An increasing number of leveraged borrowers are struggling with rising debt repayment costs, pressured by market rates inching up due to fading expectations for the central bank's monetary easing amid a rapidly weakening Korean currency and elevated housing prices, market watchers said Monday. Even high-credit borrowers are now finding it difficult to secure credit at rates below the mid-5 percent range. Overdraft accounts, widely used for short-term financing, have also become more costly. Many say financing costs are likely to tick up, influenced by more lenders tightening lines of credit amid the government drive to curb household debt. According to financial market data, borrowing rates on unsecured loans at Korea’s five major banks — KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori and NH NongHyup — stood at a range of between 3.79 percent to 5.31 percent as of Friday, up by as high as 0.25 percentage points from the first week of this month. Overdraft loans, which charge about 0.5 percentage points higher than unsecured loans, charge at least 4 percent. This has led to a rapid increase in in

Nov 24, 2025By Lee Kyung-min
Leveraged borrowers face higher interest burdens as market rates inch up
Economy

Concerns mount over won's rapid weakening amid Koreans' offshore investment surge

Korea faces rising concern over the won’s rapid decline against the U.S. dollar, amplified by record overseas investments by Korean investors while the currency’s real value hits levels unseen since the global financial crisis of the late 2000s, analysts said Sunday. A currency’s real value is measured by the real effective exchange rate, which compares it against a basket of trading partners’ currencies and adjusts for differences in prices or inflation. This shows the currency’s purchasing power and competitiveness in global trade. Multiple analysts say the combination of sustained capital outflows, U.S. dollar strength and exporters’ delay in converting foreign earnings into won is creating a foreign exchange (FX) environment whereby government intervention may be insufficient to limit won depreciation. Some say the won could weaken further to 1,500 won against the dollar, pressured further by Korea’s growing U.S. equity holdings, a more hawkish-than-expected stance of the U.S. Federal Reserve and Japan’s new administration’s stimulus pushing down the value of the y

Nov 23, 2025By Lee Kyung-min
Concerns mount over won's rapid weakening amid Koreans' offshore investment surge
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