On the occasion of the 64th anniversary of its founding, IBK Industrial Bank of Korea held a commemorative ceremony at its headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul. During the ceremony, Kim Sung-tae, the President of IBK, emphasized the importance of focusing on unchanging values amid the crisis of uncertainty. He stressed that providing innovative services, driven by sincere and good intentions toward customers, is the only way to lead the bank to growth even in times of crisis.
Kim reviewed the history of the bank, which has grown with a sense of mission and sincerity towards small and medium enterprises, and outlined the challenges for advancing toward becoming a global top-tier financial group.
He further highlighted the bank’s proactive response to unprecedented crises this year, fulfilling its role as a policy financial institution. Despite internal and external challenges, such as the tariff crisis originating from the US, IBK achieved the highest ever market share in SME finance through active support for SME loans. He also commended the staff for their efforts in reducing financial burdens for small business owners and practicing shared finance.
Major achievements mentioned included securing future growth engines through the relocation of the Hanam Data Center and the acquisition of a third phase of the Nara Love Card project, prioritizing customer value through initiatives like the business registration one-stop service, and introducing artificial intelligence (AI) technology for detecting voice phishing.
Looking ahead, Kim outlined key focus areas: leading both quantitative and qualitative growth in SME finance, building a robust bank through proactive risk management, enhancing internal controls to establish sound finance, securing future customer bases through digital transformation, and achieving balanced growth in non-interest sectors to secure future growth engines.