Top Financial Group

Hana Financial Group aims to be world-class financial group with Hana Bank in lead

Korea's financial market is now facing a period of transition with fiercer competition not only from other domestic banks, but from international financial institutions as well. Given this atmosphere, banks and financial service providers must prove they can compete with leading global institutions on equal footing.
The general slowdown in the traditional banking business-led by an economy headed for a period of low growth and low interest rates-is another major hurdle that has been brought our way. However, on a more positive note, demand in financial products and services has been steadily rising and is becoming more diversified.
Although this new economic and financial environment poses a variety of challenges, Hana Financial Group is ready to confidently face these challenges. As a financial holding company, the Group's primary role is to facilitate information sharing and close collaboration among our affiliates in order to generate greater synergy effects. Improving our own efficiency of operations means that we can provide our customers with the very best financial services possible-our ultimate goal.
With Hana Bank at the center, the Group's network also includes Hana Daetoo Securities, Hana Investment Bank, Hana Life Insurance, Hana Capital, Hana Institute of Finance, Hana I&S, and Qingdao International Bank. While it is true that we are an organization that has played a pivotal role in the history of Korea's financial industry, we will not rest on our laurels. In this competitive atmosphere, the Group will carve out its leadership through flexibility and innovation, thinking ahead to the future to provide customers with the superior services they have come to expect from the Hana Financial Group.
The Group will continue to carry out M&A and seek various business partnerships to build capacity in areas of strategic importance. In the coming years, these efforts will take us steps closer to realizing our major goals: becoming one of the world's top 100 banks in terms of assets and Tier 1; and catapulting to number one in the East Asian financial market.
In the times ahead, we aim to bring about three key improvements.
First and foremost, we will develop and implement an advanced group-level Customer Relations Management (CRM) system. The system will enable us to provide services that more effectively meet our customers'individual needs. And, the development and supply of hybrid financial products is another way we are putting our customers first.
Second, making our marketing organization as rational and customer-friendly as possible has always been a priority of the Group. This will be achieved by consolidating the diverse sales channels used in the banking, securities and insurance businesses into one single network. In support of this network, trained manpower will be dispatched to ensure our customers are receiving the accurate and comprehensive financial information services they deserve.
Third, ethical management will be emphasized with an aim at securing the trust of our customers, shareholders and the community in which we work and live.
The future looks bright for the Hana Financial Group. With 35 years of experience under our belt, and the absolute dedication we have always shown towards our customers and shareholders, continued growth of our organization is guaranteed.
Hana Bank, growing out of Korea Investment & Finance, was created in July 1991 when the latter was reincorporated into a banking corporation. The subsequent 14 years have been for Hana Bank an amazing journey and a period of remarkable growth. During the early days immediately following its debut as a bank, we succeeded in creating a perception among consumers that Hana is 'A small, but reliable bank,'through professional services and attentive customer relations management. Today, Hana is one of the major players of Korea's banking industry, also enjoying recognition from the world's leading financial papers like Euromoney, Finance Asia and Asia Money, who selected it as the 'Best Korean Bank'
Responding to the worldwide trend toward banks becoming large operations and for continued competitiveness in the changing business environment, in June 1998, Hana Bank took over Chungcheong Bank and, in January of 1999, proceeded with a merger with Boram Bank. The merger with Boram Bank was an important turning point for Hana Bank, bringing it into the club of the larger players of Korea's banking industry. nw

Chairman Kim Seung-yu of Hana Financial Group.