Kim Ki-hong, chairman of JB Financial Group / Courtesy of JB Financial Group

JB Financial Group confirmed the reappointment of Chairman Kim Ki-hong at its annual shareholders' meeting held at its headquarters in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, Thursday.

Kim first took the helm of JB Financial in March 2019 and was reappointed in 2022, leading the group for the past six years. With this latest reappointment, he will serve as chairman for an additional three years, marking his third consecutive term.

Over the past six years, Kim has pursued a vision of building a "small but strong financial group," focusing on profit-driven qualitative growth. This approach has enabled JB Financial to achieve record-breaking performance year after year.

In his inaugural address, Kim reaffirmed his commitment to continuing this vision, vowing to further strengthen the group's competitive and sustainable profit base while also focusing on identifying new core businesses.

Kim introduced his "Season II Strategy" to drive the discovery of new core businesses, highlighting three key focus areas.

First, the group plans to strengthen strategic alliances with fintech and platform companies both domestically and internationally.

The group has already made strategic investments in Finda, a lending comparison platform, and Hanpass, a foreign remittance service, securing its position as the second-largest shareholder in both firms.

Second, JB aims to develop collaborative and mutually beneficial initiatives with internet-only banks, particularly through joint loan products.

Kwangju Bank, a JB Financial subsidiary, has already launched a co-lending product with Toss Bank, while Jeonbuk Bank is preparing to introduce a similar offering in partnership with KakaoBank later this year.

Lastly, the group seeks to expand its leadership in financial services for foreign residents in Korea by providing a wider range of high-quality financial products.

Jeonbuk Bank made history last October by becoming the first bank in Korea to introduce a non-face-to-face loan product for foreigners, while Kwangju Bank recently established the first dedicated foreign customer service center in the Gwangju and South Jeolla Province.

"Amid ongoing economic uncertainties at home and abroad, we will maintain a strong focus on stable growth and profitability through thorough risk management," Kim said. "We will dedicate all our efforts to ensuring the success of the Season II Strategy for JB Financial Group's next phase of growth."