iM Financial Chairman Hwang Byeong-woo to Visit UK, Assures Investors of Performance and Dividends

Hwang Byeong-woo, Chairman of iM Financial Holdings, is set to visit the United Kingdom for the first time since taking office. The trip aims to enhance shareholder value by promoting iM Financial's growth story as it transitions to a commercial bank.

According to financial industry sources on May 15, Hwang will be in the UK from May 18 to 22.

During his visit, he plans to meet with local investors, including asset management firms in London, Stockholm, and Edinburgh. This marks Hwang's inaugural trip to the UK.

iM Financial's foreign ownership rate stands at 42.89%. However, the company remains relatively unknown among UK investors. Hwang intends to directly communicate the company's financial performance, long-term growth strategies, and shareholder return policies, including dividends.

Hwang's trip is part of the strategy to realize the vision of a 'hybrid financial group.' Since transitioning to a commercial bank in 2024, iM Financial has increased corporate loans in the metropolitan area by utilizing dedicated corporate sales teams. The amount of corporate loans in Korean won rose from 34.6 trillion won at the end of last year to 35.9 trillion won in the first quarter of this year.

The number of digital customers has also grown, increasing from 3.87 million in 2024 to 4.47 million in the first quarter of this year, with non-face-to-face savings and deposits accounting for 84% of the total. The proportion of non-banking revenue surged from 15.5% in the first quarter of 2024 to 34% in the first quarter of this year, reflecting increased fees across subsidiaries, including banking, securities, and capital. Hwang's decision to step down as bank president and focus entirely on synergies among subsidiaries has significantly contributed to this growth. In his New Year's address, he emphasized the need for seamless integration of all financial services under the 'Seamless iM' initiative, advocating for broader collaboration and synergy among subsidiaries. This growth trajectory has led to a doubling of iM Financial's stock price, which has risen from the 8,000 won range prior to the bank's transition to approximately 19,000 won now.

Hwang is also pursuing an aggressive value-up policy based on his confidence in the company's performance, continuing with share buybacks. Following the separation of dividend taxation last year, iM Financial plans to implement reduced dividends (tax-exempt dividends) this year. Hwang has expressed his commitment to supporting the stock price by purchasing an additional 2,900 shares in March, following the acquisition of 7,136 shares in January.

This year, the company is expected to seek growth drivers in new business areas. Hwang has stated, "In a rapidly evolving management environment driven by artificial intelligence (AI), we must identify tasks optimized for the group's capabilities and build success stories." iM Bank is collaborating with Deloitte Group in Korea to explore new digital asset ventures and is developing AI-based facial recognition for remote identity verification and digital asset ATMs.