Emphasizing ''Designer Strategy'' Up to Stablecoin
Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo issued his 2026 New Year address demanding fundamental financial paradigm transformation amid AI/digital transformation and capital market-centered structural change. "Stopgap measures cannot withstand the coming waves of change — innovation that changes the game itself is needed, not just supplementing the existing framework." Environmental diagnosis: big tech companies'' massive AI investment; money movement from deposits to capital market products; strengthened consumer protection regulation; digital divide in financial accessibility — all signals that traditional bank-centered model faces structural limits. "Past performance and current scale don''t guarantee tomorrow''s survival." Banking sector warnings: household loan growth limits; IRP and funds moving to securities companies; new financial products increasing competitive complexity. Non-banking sector: performance sluggishness despite favorable market environment — stronger execution and accountable change required. Solutions proposed: qualitative advancement of wealth management capability; IB/corporate finance evaluation and risk management innovation; prevention-centered consumer protection; inclusive finance expanding accessibility for vulnerable groups. Stablecoin strategy — the most notable element: Chairman Ham designated the KRW stablecoin market as "an area where network effects will create winner-take-all outcomes," declaring Hana cannot remain merely an issuer or participant. The vision: proactively design the complete ecosystem (issuance → distribution → usage → return), combine with AI technology, coordinate with FX/monetary policy, and use domestic/international partnerships to "create new rules of digital finance." The strategic imperative: Korean banks entering the stablecoin market as designers rather than participants will capture the infrastructure economics rather than just the service revenue — a fundamentally different strategic position.
