Hana Card Ranks First in Finance... Leading Talent Discovery and Development as a 'Five-Tool Company' [2025 Gender Equality Index]

How Did the Financial Sector Perform?
KB Kookmin Bank Leads Among Banks
Regional Banks Generally Underperform
Samsung Life Insurance Tops Insurance Sector
NH Investment & Securities and Samsung Securities Tie for First Among Securities Firms

In the "2025 Asia Gender Equality Index" conducted among 37 financial companies, Hana Card ranked first overall. The company received balanced scores across the five evaluation categories?employment, compensation, development, work-life balance, and others?achieving a total score of 61.25 points. In contrast, Korea Investment & Securities and Kiwoom Securities remained at the bottom with 41 points each.

By sector, KB Kookmin Bank (60.25 points) ranked first among banks, while NH Investment & Securities and Samsung Securities (55 points each) tied for first among securities firms. Among insurance companies, Samsung Life Insurance received the highest score (58.75 points), and in the card sector, Hana Card, which ranked first overall, maintained its top position. The lowest scorers by sector were Kyongnam Bank (41.5 points), DB Insurance (41.75 points), and Woori Card (43 points), respectively.

'Five-Tool Company' Hana Card Scores Evenly Across All Categories

In baseball, a "five-tool player" refers to a fielder with balanced abilities in hitting, power, base running, defense, and throwing. In this year's Gender Equality Index, Hana Card was evaluated as the financial sector's "five-tool company." Among the five evaluation categories, it ranked joint second in "development" and was within the top 10 in all other categories. Notably, as of the end of last year, the proportion of women among outside directors reached 50%, the highest among the surveyed financial firms, and the company also ranked high in female managerial positions. This is interpreted as the result of group-level strategic leadership development. Hana Financial Group has been focusing on discovering and supporting the growth of female talent within the organization, operating the "Hana WAVEs" women leadership development program since 2021. A Hana Card representative stated, "We are working to strengthen our talent portfolio by establishing female leader role models and promoting mutual exchange."

On the other hand, Korea Investment & Securities and Kiwoom Securities scored more than 20 points lower than Hana Card, remaining at the bottom. Korea Investment & Securities did not disclose its parental leave rate in its 2024 business report. There was a note stating, "Due to reasons such as personal information, we do not collect information on all employees' children or childbirth, so we cannot calculate the parental leave usage rate," but among the 137 companies surveyed?including the top 100 companies?Korea Investment & Securities was the only one not to disclose this information for such reasons. This was reflected in the evaluation, considering the purpose and fairness of disclosure.

At Kiwoom Securities, the average length of service was similar between men and women, but there was nearly a twofold gap in annual salaries. The low utilization of flexible work arrangements was also a major factor in lowering the company's ranking. However, both companies scored higher than the average for the top 100 companies (36.85 points) under the same criteria, demonstrating an overall improvement in the financial sector.

In the Banking Sector, KB Kookmin Bank Ranks First... Internet Banks Make Strides

Among banks, Kookmin Bank ranked second overall and first within the banking sector. It was the only bank to score over 20 points in the employment category and also ranked joint second in development, making it a model case for the practice of gender equality. A Kookmin Bank representative explained, "We provide individual core competency assessments and coaching solutions for female leaders to support their growth and development as leaders."

Major commercial banks such as Woori Bank (third overall), Shinhan Bank (fifth overall), and Hana Bank (sixth overall) also ranked high. Woori Bank, in particular, ranked first in the development category, with women making up half of its outside directors?a notable achievement. Shinhan Bank climbed 13 places in the overall ranking compared to last year, thanks to high scores in the newly included flexible work arrangement category.

K Bank rose 28 places compared to last year to tie for sixth place with Hana Bank. It ranked first overall in work-life balance. Last year, K Bank's parental leave utilization rate was 67%, the highest in the industry. The bank also received high marks for actively utilizing flexible work arrangements, allowing employees to choose their start time between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. and to leave work at their discretion after 4 p.m. Kakao Bank also rose seven places to rank 17th overall.

In contrast, regional banks generally performed poorly. Jeonbuk Bank ranked highest among them at 24th overall, while Gwangju Bank (28th), Busan Bank (32nd), and Kyongnam Bank (35th) remained at the lower end. Low utilization rates of flexible work arrangements and gender imbalance in board composition were cited as major causes. Gwangju Bank did not disclose information on parental leave or flexible work arrangements in its 2024 business report.

Mixed Fortunes for Insurance and Securities Firms... Samsung Life, Samsung Securities, and NH Investment & Securities Stand Out

In the insurance sector, Samsung Life Insurance ranked first (fourth overall) with 58.75 points. Flexible work systems and proactive female recruitment contributed to its high evaluation. A Samsung Life Insurance representative said, "We have introduced a selective working hour system to ensure a flexible work environment and continue to pursue fair recruitment regardless of gender or background."

Among securities firms, NH Investment & Securities and Samsung Securities tied for first place (tenth overall) with 55 points each. NH Investment & Securities received high marks in employment and compensation, while Samsung Securities was highly rated in employment and work-life balance. Both companies have seen a continuous increase in the proportion of women in permanent positions over the past five years, which was viewed positively.

In contrast, Mirae Asset Securities and Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance, which ranked high last year, dropped to 22nd and 26th overall, respectively. At Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance, the female parental leave utilization rate was only 57%, and factors such as pay gaps and a decrease in the proportion of women also led to point deductions. Mirae Asset Securities received a lower evaluation due to relatively low utilization of flexible work arrangements.

Clear Upward Equalization Across the Financial Sector

This year's survey results show that, despite a decline in rankings for some companies, the overall level of gender equality in the financial industry is clearly rising. The proportion of companies obtaining family-friendly certification increased from 47.2% last year to 51.4% this year.

There is also a growing trend toward implementing practical systems to foster female talent and establish a work-life balance culture. The rate of operating workplace childcare centers (direct, joint, or consigned) reached 97.3%, while the rate of installing nursing rooms and maternity lounges was recorded at 91.9%. In addition, 75.7% of companies are running female leadership development programs, and 48.7% participate in or have their own programs to support women returning to work after a career break.

This is a higher level compared to the top 100 companies, indicating that the financial sector is taking a leading role in practicing gender equality and work-life balance. It is significant in that it marks the beginning of changes aimed at not just formal equality, but real institutional improvement and cultural establishment.

Editor's NoteThe "Asia Economy Gender Equality Index," launched with the aim of examining the utilization of female talent and gender equality efforts at major domestic companies and spreading work-life balance, marks its tenth anniversary this year. Over the years, the Gender Equality Index has served as a catalyst for spreading a culture of inclusion and coexistence within companies. To mark the tenth anniversary, Asia Economy has adjusted evaluation items and methods and enhanced its analysis system to improve the objectivity and reliability of the index. As the value of sustainability and diversity grows, we hope the Gender Equality Index will serve as a compass for companies.