KB Kookmin Bank named top employer for students with disabilities

KB Kookmin Bank has received the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities commissioner's award in recognition of its efforts to support career development for university students with disabilities and expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

The bank announced Monday that it was named a "top company for career support of university students with disabilities" by the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities on Friday.

KB Kookmin Bank has operated career and recruitment programs designed to help university students with disabilities explore financial-sector roles and prepare for employment. In July, it held "KB Career Bridge Day," introducing various in-bank job functions and work environments, with sessions featuring conversations with current employees and a recruitment briefing.

The bank has also stepped up hiring of people with disabilities. It selects full-time employees with disabilities each year through a dedicated ESG recruitment process and runs an internship program in partnership with the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities. It is also working to identify new job functions where people with disabilities can fully apply their skills.

KB Kookmin Bank has taken equity stakes in standard workplaces for people with disabilities since 2023 to support broader hiring, and it plans to make additional investments this year.

"This award is meaningful because it recognizes our efforts to walk alongside university students with disabilities as they discover their potential and take their first steps into society," a bank official said. "We will continue to do our best to support the social participation and stable economic activity of people with disabilities, and to build an inclusive employment environment."

Meanwhile, KB Kookmin Bank has operated the "KB Dudurim Star" scholarship program with the Korea Disabled People's Rehabilitation Association since 2009, supporting the academic pursuits and career development of youth and young adults from families with disabilities. Over the past 18 years, the program has provided 3.6 billion won ($2.62 million) to 1,342 recipients.