Woori Bank CEO Jung Jin-wan said the lender aims to narrow the gap with its larger rivals this year by deepening customer engagement and improving operational efficiency, setting an aggressive tone for 2026.
Despite recent gains, Woori Bank remains fourth in net profit among the nation’s four major lenders — KB, Shinhan, Hana and Woori — underscoring the challenge ahead.
Jung made the remarks Friday at the bank’s 2026 management strategy meeting held at Paradise City in Incheon, which was attended by about 900 executives and senior managers. In a CEO message delivered at the event, he called on the organization to translate last year’s groundwork into measurable results.
Building on efforts to strengthen its fundamentals in 2025, Woori Bank plans to step up customer engagement while refining internal efficiency. A key pillar of the strategy involves expanding specialized channels in corporate banking and wealth management to attract high-quality corporate clients and high-net-worth individuals.
The bank also plans to accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence across its operations to improve speed and accuracy. By deploying AI agents, Woori will redesign internal workflows and overhaul customer management processes, with the aim of enhancing support for front-line sales teams.
In addition, the lender will operate a dedicated outreach center to better respond to the needs of office workers and small business owners, areas it sees as critical to expanding its customer base.
“All transactions begin with clients, and profits are built through those transactions,” Jung said, emphasizing that deeper and more sustained customer engagement would be central to driving profitability.
He also stressed the importance of maintaining robust internal controls and data protection as the bank pushes to boost earnings, warning that growth must not come at the expense of risk management.
“While 2025 was a year to lay the groundwork, 2026 is the year we must prove ourselves through concrete achievements,” Jung said.
“If we clearly define our growth direction and drive change at the front lines, we can narrow the gap with our rivals and even reshape the market paradigm.”
silverstar@heraldcorp.com
