KB Kookmin Card has reported a double-digit increase in net profit for the first half of the year, driven by improvements in financial health. The company has strengthened both profitability and future growth through risk management focused on high-quality assets and operational innovations based on artificial intelligence (AI).
According to the card industry on July 26, KB Kookmin Card's net profit for the first half of the year reached 218.9 billion won, a 20.7% increase compared to the same period last year. In the second quarter, net profit also rose by 14.6 billion won to 111.4 billion won compared to the previous year.
Total assets increased by 1.92 trillion won from a year ago to 31.285 trillion won. Despite a challenging business environment marked by slowing growth in financial assets and rising funding costs, the company managed to enhance both asset size and profitability.
The improvement in performance was driven by strengthened financial health management and cost efficiency. Non-interest income expanded due to increased card usage, while the provision for credit losses decreased by 25.3 billion won compared to the same period last year. Efforts to reduce interest costs through diversified funding sources, including the issuance of kimchi bonds and overseas asset-backed securities (ABS), also continued.
To ensure future growth, KB Kookmin Card is enhancing operational efficiency through an AI-based operational model, co-pilot systems, and data restructuring. The company is also pursuing IT investments that consider investment efficiency and optimizing cloud resources. In the next-generation payment sector, KB Kookmin Card is expanding collaborations with global blockchain companies, focusing on stablecoins, AI agent payments, and digital asset-linked payment technologies to build a future payment ecosystem.
A representative from KB Kookmin Card stated, "In the first half, profitability, financial health, cost efficiency, and future growth strategies have balanced out to yield positive results. We plan to continue stable growth in the second half through AI-based operational innovations, strengthening core competitiveness, monetizing platforms, and expanding next-generation payment businesses."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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