[Asking the Four Major Financial Groups About New Strategies] Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Youngjoo: "Securing Sustainable Competitiveness Through a Major Shift to Productive Finance"

New Year Interview
Productive (Inclusive) Finance, Digital, and Consumer Protection Set as Key Priorities
Focus on Strengthening Fundamentals Rather Than Expanding Scale
Laying the Foundation for Mid-to-Long-Term Growth Through Core Business Competitiveness, Non-Banking, and Non-Interest Income Expansion

Ham Youngjoo, Chairman of Hana Financial Group. Hana Financial Group

"This year, we aim to focus on implementing productive (inclusive) finance, digital finance, and consumer protection in a substantive, rather than formal, manner."

Ham Youngjoo, Chairman of Hana Financial Group, stated this in a written interview with The Asia Business Daily on January 7, outlining the group’s key priorities for the year. Although private consumption is expected to recover in 2026, he believes that overall growth may stagnate due to heightened domestic and global uncertainties. As differentiation by sector is expected to become more pronounced across the financial industry, Hana Financial Group’s strategy is to use ‘productive finance’ as a breakthrough to diversify its portfolio.

"KRW-USD exchange rate expected to fall to around 1,380 won in the second half"

Chairman Ham forecasted that the global economy would grow at a rate in the low 3% range next year, similar to this year. He said, "Thanks to increased fiscal spending by major economies and stabilized inflation, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected this year’s global economic growth rate at 3.1%, similar to last year’s 3.2%," adding, "Tariff policies, the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure investment in the United States, and interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve will further highlight the relative strength of the U.S. economy."

Based on this outlook, Chairman Ham predicted that Korea’s economic growth rate would reach the upper 1% range this year. He explained, "Recently, economic sentiment has been relatively positive, and with the government’s strong commitment to economic stimulus, domestic demand-driven growth is expected." However, he noted that the outlook would vary by sector. "Construction investment is expected to break out of five consecutive years of negative growth, whereas facility investment will see slower growth due to sluggishness in non-IT sectors and increased domestic and global uncertainties," he said.

Regarding the KRW-USD exchange rate, he projected it would fall to around 1,380 won in the second half of the year. Chairman Ham stated, "While the Federal Reserve’s rate-cutting stance is likely to continue, the high likelihood of Korea maintaining its interest rates will narrow the Korea-U.S. interest rate gap, which will act as a factor for a lower exchange rate." He added, "The government’s ongoing efforts to advance the foreign exchange market, the push for inclusion in the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Developed Markets Index, and the inflow of funds following inclusion in the World Government Bond Index (WGBI) will expand the return of domestic investors to the Korean stock market and increase foreign capital inflows, which will also positively contribute to the stability of the foreign exchange market." He also cited the strengthening of Korea’s economic fundamentals, driven by a recovery in exports thanks to improved semiconductor market conditions, as another factor supporting a stronger won.

This year’s keywords: Productive (inclusive) finance, digital, and consumer protection... "Securing sustainable competitiveness"

Hana Financial Group has set its management themes for the year as ▲productive (inclusive) finance ▲digital finance ▲consumer protection. Through these, the group plans to comprehensively reorganize its structure and operations to secure sustainable competitiveness.

Chairman Ham said, "To establish ourselves as a leader in investment-based productive finance, we will advance our financial system so that funds essential to the real economy can be supplied in a timely manner," adding, "We will shift the focus of finance from real estate and collateral-based lending to supporting strategic industries, innovative companies, and balanced regional development."

He continued, "We will continue to pursue inclusive growth alongside vulnerable groups and expand support for those with limited access to financial services. We will also strengthen consumer protection innovations to further solidify the trust that underpins finance."

Regarding the digital sector, he emphasized, "We plan to further strengthen our digital finance capabilities to lead a new financial ecosystem centered on AI and virtual assets. By proactively responding to technological changes, we will simultaneously accelerate and enhance the quality of our digital transformation."

"Substance over scale" - Building a foundation for mid-to-long-term growth by strengthening non-interest income and non-banking sectors

Chairman Ham remarked, "The financial environment in 2026 will be far from simple. In such times, it is more important to focus on strengthening our fundamentals rather than expanding scale, and enhancing our core business competitiveness is paramount."

With the trend of stricter management of household loans continuing this year, Hana Financial Group plans to pursue selective business operations based on screening criteria that fully reflect borrowers’ repayment capabilities. In addition, considering the volatility of the financial environment, the group will gradually increase the proportion of products that contribute to soundness, such as fixed-rate products and long-term installment payment products.

Chairman Ham said, "By focusing on strengthening our core business and structural transformation, we will lay the foundation for stable profit generation and future growth this year. To this end, we will avoid mergers and acquisitions (M&A) aimed solely at expanding scale, and instead expand our profit base by advancing our wealth management (WM) business, senior wealth management, pensions, and trusts, which are Hana Financial Group’s strengths." He also announced plans to expand the customer base through strengthening foreign exchange business.

In the non-banking sector, the securities division will seek to increase domestic and international brokerage commissions in line with policies to revitalize the stock market. In the investment banking (IB) division, the group will expand productive finance and venture capital supply, focusing on strategic industries and infrastructure, while continuously strengthening its core business competitiveness in areas such as acquisition finance and bond and equity issuance. In the card division, the group aims to improve profitability by expanding credit sales and efficiently managing operating costs.

Chairman Ham emphasized, "Although there may be differences by sector, we will gradually enhance the competitiveness of our non-banking divisions under the principle of ‘selection and concentration.’"