KB Financial Group Chairman Yoon Jong-kyoo said Friday that he would better serve customers by giving them what they need amid worsening inflation pushing up interest rates, at a biannual meeting with executives held in-person for the first time since January 2020.

“The mission of financial institutions like us is to offer protection to clients, like having whatever they have with us stay unharmed in the event of a crisis,” Yoon said, describing client protection as the top priority among goals to achieve for this year.

The chief of the largest banking group by assets highlighted helping out companies expand their investments for environmental, social and governance impacts, as the top lender is socially responsible for bringing about that change.

Some 270 executives -- chiefs of the group’s subsidiaries including the bank, asset management and securities -- discussed concrete steps to not only reflect Yoon’s message in their operation, but also to create new growth momentum as economic uncertainties grip markets globally.

“The face-to-face meeting today, which comes for the first time in about two years, is a more effective way to see words turn into action and we made real progress,” a senior KB Financial Group official said.