The leaders of South Korea's four largest financial conglomerates — KB, Shinhan, Hana and Woori — are set to visit Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province for the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit, according to reports.
These financial executives plan to examine worldwide market developments and vigorously showcase Korea's banking sector to an international audience.
Approximately 1,700 corporate leaders from 21 nations are anticipated to participate in the gathering. Notable attendees will include Jensen Huang from Nvidia, Matt Garman from Amazon Web Services, and Jane Fraser from Citi.
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The chairmen of the four financial groups — Yang Jong-hee of KB Financial Group, Jin Ok-dong of Shinhan Financial Group, Ham Young-joo of Hana Financial Group, and Yim Jong-yong of Woori Financial Group — are scheduled to participate in the APEC CEO Summit opening ceremony.
Additional representatives include Lee Hwan-ju, CEO of KB Kookmin Bank, and Jung Jin-wan, CEO of Woori Bank, who will attend alongside their parent companies' leadership.
Building international partnerships and securing global investor trust have emerged as key objectives for Korea's financial holding companies recently, particularly as their share prices continue to underperform despite optimistic projections that the KOSPI index might reach 4,000 points before year-end.
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Foreign investors held significant stakes in these companies as of Thursday: KB Financial at 77.2 percent, Shinhan Financial at 59.9 percent, Hana Financial at 68.2 percent, and Woori Financial at 48 percent.
Corporate growth has faced challenges from various obstacles, particularly stricter government regulations on consumer lending. As this important revenue source weakens, international expansion is becoming increasingly vital for Korea's leading financial institutions.
Consequently, the board leaders have expanded their international activities over the past several months. These actions are consistent with the organizations' comprehensive commitment to enhancing corporate worth through improved openness and policies that favor shareholders.
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Throughout the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Annual Meetings that took place between October 13-18, these four board leaders conducted individual investor outreach sessions to build stronger relationships with international investors. They additionally emphasized the government's "productive finance" program, which prioritizes business investment rather than property development.
Previously in September, Board Leaders Jin and Ham accompanied President Lee Jae Myung's team to New York, taking part in senior-level investor engagement activities to advance Korea's financial sector competitiveness.