“At a time when our economy faces structural crises of low growth and polarization, we are also confronting upheaval from AI, digital change and an energy transition,” Jang said at the inauguration ceremony. “IBK must play the role of a catalyst for productive finance.”
He named three core management priorities: productive finance, trust-based finance and digital transformation. “Over the past 65 years, IBK’s corporate-finance DNA built alongside small and midsize companies is a unique asset no one can replicate,” he said, pledging to “push ahead without disruption” with 300 trillion won in productive finance by 2030.
Jang also called for expanding investment in new industries. “With a trained eye, we will identify future industries such as AI and semiconductors and powerfully activate our growth engine,” he said. He pledged broad financial support tailored to a company’s life cycle, “from early-stage startups through growth and maturity.”
On digital transformation, Jang said he wants to redefine IBK as an “AI company.” “We will secure AI-based, best-in-class capabilities across all areas and realign our organizational DNA to be AI-friendly,” he said, adding that the bank will combine long-accumulated data with AI to upgrade credit reviews and soundness management. He also described stablecoins as a key technology that could change the capital paradigm and said the bank will review adopting related systems, with safety as a prerequisite.
Jang emphasized a shift to trust-based finance as well. “We will build an internal control system that can proactively manage even unseen risks,” he said, signaling tighter risk management. He added that IBK faces the challenge of competing on equal footing with commercial banks while balancing public and commercial roles, and said he will foster a culture of mutual respect and discussion.
The ceremony was held about a month after his appointment on Jan. 23, after the bank’s labor union staged a campaign to block employees from reporting to work over overtime pay issues tied to a total wage cap system. Labor and management agreed on Feb. 19 to normalize unpaid allowances, easing the dispute and allowing the bank to move toward normal operations.
For his first official schedule, Jang plans to visit a Seoul branch with heavy customer traffic to encourage staff. With his term starting later than planned, he also aims to accelerate the 300 trillion won productive-finance initiative. The government’s National Growth Fund is also expected to expand IBK’s role in areas such as balanced regional development and support for advanced strategic industries, and some observers say his capital-markets background could speed up decisions on large-scale fund investments.
Asset quality management is also cited as a key task. Analysts say the bank must stabilize a delinquency rate that rose into the 1% range in the third quarter of last year while continuing support for small merchants and small and midsize businesses. How the new leadership balances expanded support with risk controls is expected to be an early test.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.