SEOUL, March 16 (Korea Bizwire) — Banks in South Korea saw their combined net profit surge about 40 percent in 2021 thanks to increased interest income from the central bank’s rate hikes, data showed Wednesday. The combined net profit of 20 local banks came to 16.9 trillion won (US$13.6 billion) in 2021, up 39.4 percent [...]
SEOUL, March. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — Sentiment is growing that the insurance industry needs to pay more attention to electric vehicle (EV) insurance products as a new channel for growth after main opposition candidate Yoon Suk-yeol was elected South Korea’s next president on Thursday. Yoon pledged that he will freeze EV charging fees over the [...]
SEOUL, March 2 (Korea Bizwire) — South Koreans’ use of internet banking services soared 18 percent on-year in 2021 as customers preferred non-contact services amid the coronavirus pandemic, central bank data showed Monday. The daily use of online banking services, including mobile banking, reached 17.32 million cases last year, up from 14.68 million a year [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co., South Korea’s top non-life insurer, said Wednesday it will cut its auto insurance premiums by an average 1.2 percent in April on falling loss rates. It will mark Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance’s first premium reduction since 2020, when its car insurance premium [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — Four financial holding firms in South Korea saw their interest income surge nearly 15 percent in 2021 thanks to rising lending rates, industry data showed Monday. The combined interest income of the four holding companies — KB Financial Group Inc., Shinhan Financial Group Co., Hana Financial Group Inc. and [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s state deposit insurer said Friday it sold 2.2 percent of its stake in Woori Financial Holdings Co. for some 239 billion won (US$199 million). The Korea Depository Insurance Corp. (KDIC) said that the pre-market sale of 15.86 million shares came in line with a decision by the [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — KakaoBank Corp., a major South Korean internet-only bank, said Wednesday its 2021 earnings jumped about 80 percent from a year earlier thanks to strong interest income from loans and improved profitability. Net income amounted to 204.12 billion won (US$170.6 million) last year, up 79.6 percent from a net profit [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — K-Bank, a South Korean internet-only bank, on Thursday reported its first profit since its launch in 2017 thanks to a sharp increase in customers and interest income. Net profit came to 22.4 billion won (US$18.6 million) in 2021, a turnaround from a loss of 105.4 billion won a year [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — K-Bank, a South Korean internet-only bank, said Friday it has begun the process of an initial public offering (IPO) as part of efforts to raise funds to strengthen its foothold as a major digital financial platform. K-Bank sent a request for proposal to local and foreign securities firms earlier [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — A Seoul court has rejected a Hong Kong-based private equity firm’s request for Kyobo Life Insurance Co. to carry out its obligation with regard to a put option that it has been trying to exercise, the South Korean insurer said Tuesday. The ruling appears to have removed a major [...]