Woori Financial Group Reports Q1 Net Profit of 615.6 Billion Won, Down 25.3% Year-on-Year

Woori Financial Group announced on April 25 that it recorded a net profit of 615.6 billion won in the first quarter of this year. This figure represents a decrease of approximately 25.3% compared to the same period last year (824 billion won). Woori Financial explained that this decline was due to an increase in selling and administrative expenses, which resulted from one-off costs and expanded investments in future growth. However, the group’s ability to generate revenue, including both interest income and non-interest income, continued to show a stable upward trend.

The group’s common equity tier 1 (CET1) capital ratio stood at 12.42%. Despite a challenging financial environment, including high exchange rates, this ratio rose by about 0.3 percentage points compared to the previous quarter, thanks to efficient asset management efforts such as asset rebalancing. Expectations for the early achievement of this year’s target of 12.5%, as promised to the market, have also increased.

Based on these results, Woori Financial’s board of directors decided to set the first-quarter dividend at 200 won per share, an 11% increase from the previous year. At the beginning of the year, the company expanded its share buyback and cancellation program to about 150 billion won, up roughly 10% from the previous year, and continued to lead in shareholder returns by gradually increasing quarterly dividends.

Meanwhile, as financial market uncertainty increases following the announcement of reciprocal tariffs by the United States, Woori Financial has launched a “Reciprocal Tariff Damage Support Task Force.” Chairman Lim Jongryong is personally overseeing the situation and preparing support measures.

The company plans to proactively respond to sharp exchange rate fluctuations, thoroughly manage risks through liquidity monitoring, and provide customized financial support totaling approximately 10.2 trillion won in stages for companies and small business owners affected by the reciprocal tariffs. Through these efforts, Woori Financial aims to contribute to market stabilization and further strengthen the social role of finance.

A Woori Financial Group representative stated, “In the first quarter, we significantly enhanced our capital adequacy through various efforts to respond to increased financial market volatility, and we actively implemented shareholder-friendly policies such as introducing advanced quarterly dividend procedures. In the second quarter, we expect the group’s revenue-generating capacity to improve further as we fully launch our securities business and diversify operations into areas such as budget mobile phones.”