IBK posts W2.21tr in net profit through Q3, down 2% on year

The Industrial Bank of Korea said Monday its consolidated net profit for the first three quarters of 2026 came to 2.21 trillion won ($1.67 billion), down 2.0 percent from the same period a year earlier.

The bank's small and medium-sized enterprise loan balance grew 3.9 percent from the end of last year to 272 trillion won, driven by continued expansion of what it calls "productive finance." Its market share in SME lending stood at around 24.5 percent.

Interest income rose 7.2 percent on year to 5.75 trillion won, while non-interest income edged up 1.7 percent to 549.8 billion won.

The bank's credit cost ratio climbed 0.09 percentage points on year to 0.53 percent, as it built up loan-loss provisions preemptively in anticipation of worsening business conditions for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The substandard-and-below loan ratio fell 0.04 percentage points on year to 1.31 percent.

A bank official said the lender would continue to expand policy finance support for small business owners, the self-employed, and advanced and innovative companies, even amid persistent domestic and external uncertainties such as benchmark interest rate hikes and rising inflation, while strengthening its competitiveness through initiatives including an AI-driven transformation.