Ham Young-joo: 'Inclusive finance is a core duty of any financial group'

Hana Financial Group said Wednesday it is stepping up its inclusive finance efforts to support economic recovery and reach underserved customers.

The group said it had already disbursed more than 60 percent of its 3.1 trillion won ($2.17 billion) inclusive finance target for this year in the first half alone. To anchor inclusive finance as a core management priority, it appointed Vice Chairman Lee Seung-yeol — who heads the group's sustainable growth and inclusive finance division — as its chief inclusive finance officer, or CIFO.

Building on the "2026 Inclusive Finance Roadmap" released in May, the group has set four pillars for the second half: support for youth and small-business owners, embedding inclusive finance across operations, debtor protection and financial crime prevention, and expanding social solidarity finance.

As a first priority, the group will fully cover insurance premiums for its "Youth Guardian Jeonse Fraud Protection Insurance" for about 10,000 young people taking out new jeonse loans. A youth rental deposit loan program operated exclusively by Hana Bank under an agreement with the Seoul Metropolitan Government has already supported about 9,000 cases, and similar agreement-based loans with local governments in Daejeon, Sejong and South Chungcheong Province will continue.

The group is also expanding support for youth asset-building and entrepreneurship. It is the sole operator of the Ministry of Health and Welfare's "Youth Tomorrow Savings Account" program and has helped about 25,000 young people with thin credit files build transaction histories through a Gyeonggi Province youth financial access initiative. Financial advisers will be placed at branches near university campuses, and credit management and financial fraud prevention education will be expanded for young people, including military personnel. The group is also participating as a financial sector mentor in the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' second round of its all-inclusive startup program, providing idea evaluations and one-on-one consultations.

Ahead of the group's headquarters relocation to Incheon's Cheongna International City in September, it is also strengthening support for local small-business owners. Hana Bank will make a special contribution of 5.5 billion won to the Incheon Credit Guarantee Foundation this year, backing 84 billion won in specialized guarantee loans. Merchants using Incheon's local currency and public online food delivery platforms will receive preferential financial benefits, and an additional 10 billion won in emergency operating credit lines will be made available to small-business owners.

The group is also reviewing the introduction of key performance indicators to embed inclusive finance across its overall management. It plans to distinguish between shared management areas and specialized areas across affiliates, and evaluate performance and accountability in stages.

To improve loan access for customers with thin credit histories and small-business owners, the group will overhaul its personal credit scoring system this month. It will apply a credit evaluation model incorporating alternative data such as telecommunications records and will take part in the Financial Services Commission's pilot program for a small-business-specific credit scoring model. Based on the new model, it plans to offer tangible benefits including preferential interest rates and higher loan limits.

The group will also expand the supply of its Hana WonQ mid-rate safe loan product as well as New Hope Seed and Sunshine Loan products, and will follow through on plans to contribute an additional 100 billion won to the Hana Microfinance Foundation.

On debtor protection, the group completed the cancellation of 400 billion won in long-term delinquent debt and the disposal of statute-barred claims in the first half. In the second half, it will expand in-house debt restructuring and upgrade its AI-based fraud detection system and voice phishing response framework. Hana Bank has prevented approximately 677.4 billion won in voice phishing losses over the past three years.

A response system that connects customers showing signs of suicidal risk during phone consultations to police, fire departments and suicide prevention hotlines will be extended to all affiliates, including Hana Securities, Hana Card and Hana Life Insurance.

Financial support for social solidarity economy organizations — including social enterprises and innovative companies — is also a key priority. The group will increase its participation in social investment funds and expand tailored financing. Through its Hana Power On Innovation Company Internship program, it has so far matched 935 social innovation companies with 935 job seekers.

Hana Financial plans to link these efforts to its "Hana Together Growth Project," which aims to supply a total of 100 trillion won by 2030 — comprising 84 trillion won in productive finance and 16 trillion won in inclusive finance.

"Inclusive finance is a fundamental duty that any financial group must shoulder," Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo said. "We will focus our efforts not on plans and declarations, but on delivering tangible results that young people, small-business owners and vulnerable groups can feel in their daily lives."