Gwangju Bank President Jilseon Jung Visits Local SMEs on First Day in Office

"Commitment to Revitalizing the Local Economy"
Joint Tea Meeting with Organizations Supporting Foreign Residents
and Consecutive Field Meetings with Small Business Owners Held

Jilseon Jung, President of Gwangju Bank, visited the site of a leading local small and medium-sized enterprise as his first official engagement immediately after his inauguration ceremony on January 2.

On this day, President Jung visited Howon, a global automotive parts manufacturer located in the Hanam Industrial Complex, where he inspected the production process with a focus on the press line and listened to explanations about the operation of major facilities and the production process. Howon is a regional mid-sized company that produces body parts for Kia Soul and Seltos vehicles, as well as components for the Gwangju Global Motors (GGM) Casper electric vehicle (EV). During the subsequent meeting, participants exchanged a wide range of views on the operation of the manufacturing site and overall business management in the context of the global market environment, and also discussed measures to revitalize the local economy.

Later that afternoon, President Jung held a joint tea meeting with organizations supporting foreign residents, followed by a field meeting with small business owners. At the Gwangju Bank Foreigners' Financial Center in Heukseok-dong, Gwangsan District, Gwangju, he presided over a joint tea meeting with representatives from organizations supporting foreign residents. The meeting was attended by the head of the Foreigners' Financial Center, officials from the Multicultural Support Team and Talent Development Team of Gwangju City Hall, the Gwangju Foreign Residents Support Center, honorary foreigner account managers from Gwangsan District, and around 10 other Korean and foreign participants. They discussed inconveniences experienced by foreign residents when using financial services and shared suggestions for institutional improvements.

Jilseon Jung, President of Gwangju Bank (second from the left in the front row), is visiting the site of Howon Industry, a leading local small and medium-sized enterprise, inspecting the production process. Gwangju Bank

The final schedule of the day was a field meeting with small business owners at the Gwangju Bank Inclusive Finance Center in Chungjangno 5-ga, Dong-gu, Gwangju. There, President Jung listened to the difficulties faced by local small business owners struggling due to the economic downturn and sought practical financial support measures. The meeting was attended by President Jung, executives and staff from the credit and inclusive finance departments, as well as representatives from the Gwangju Metropolitan City Merchants Association, the Chungjang Merchants Association, the Chungjang 5-ga Prosperity Association, and the Chungjang-dong Residents' Autonomy Committee.

Participants shared the management burdens they feel amid high interest rates and high inflation, as well as the challenges they encounter in accessing financial services. They conveyed the need for relief from loan interest burdens and called for expanded, customized financial support.

President Jung stated, "For the local economy to thrive, local businesses must grow, and foreign residents are also valuable members of the community," adding, "Gwangju Bank will do its utmost to fulfill its role as a bank embedded in the daily lives of the region." He continued, "We will further strengthen customized financial services and cooperation with related organizations so that foreign residents can live and work stably in the region," and "We will faithfully reflect the voices from the field in our policies and products, and continue to practice inclusive finance that grows together with the local economy."