JB Financial holds global forum to strengthen digital leadership

JB Financial Group Chairman Kim Ki-hong, ninth from left, poses with group officials and guests at the 2025 JB Forum in Aurum Campus in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, Oct. 30. Courtesy of JB Financial Group

JB Financial Group Chairman Kim Ki-hong hosted the 2025 JB Forum in a move to strengthen its digital finance leadership, including strategies to integrate financial services with technology for enhanced international collaboration, the group said Thursday.

The Jeolla Province-based financial group seeks to transition from a traditional financial services provider into a digital-centric financial innovator, as indicated by the forum participants spanning leading fintechs and platform operators from Korea, Vietnam and Indonesia.

The group held the forum from Oct. 30 to 31 at Aurum Campus, its training center in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province.

The forum’s theme, “Hello Tomorrow,” underscored the group’s vision of transforming today’s partnerships into tomorrow’s competitive advantage — an approach that reflects the growing urgency for financial institutions to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and cross-border digital ecosystems.

The two-day event convened key partners including Finda, Hanpass, Webcash, Infina and OKXE.

Finda is a Korean fintech offering online loan comparison and brokering services. Hanpass is a Korean fintech company focused on mobile overseas remittance and foreign exchange services. Webcash is a Korean business-to-business fintech firm specializing in corporate cash management and financial operations.

Infina is a Vietnamese fintech platform focused on asset management and securities market services. OKXE is a Korea-based startup operating a used motorbike trading platform in Vietnam, a strategic partner in JB Financial’s investment and collaboration activities.

CEOs and key representatives in charge of global collaboration initiatives from Vietnam and Indonesia attended the forum. Also in attendance were officials from the group’s bank, capital and investment affiliates. Together, they explored mutual growth opportunities in digital assets, AI and data-driven financial services.

JB deployed real-time AI translation to enable communication among the participants.

JB Financial Group Chairman Kim Ki-hong said the event was culturally and strategically meaningful for the organization.

“I wanted JB Financial Group to have a fintech DNA — one that views change as opportunity and innovation as necessity,” he said.

He emphasized that the JB Forum aims to go beyond symbolic networking to generate tangible synergies among startups, fintechs and the group’s subsidiaries, while also allowing JB employees to directly experience innovative business ideas.

“We will continue to discover new partners in key future areas such as AI and digital assets to strengthen group synergies and develop next year’s forum into a deeper and more impactful platform for collaboration.”

JB Financial plans to continue its “inorganic growth strategy” through strategic partnerships with domestic and global fintech and platform companies, reinforcing a unique business model that integrates finance and technology.

The group aims to hold the forum regularly, developing this as a practical and sustainable collaborative ecosystem through enhanced partnerships.