A three-week probe by Korea's financial regulator found 32 cases of alleged hiring irregularities at KEB Hana Bank in 2013, the regulator said Monday.

The Financial Supervisory Service launched a probe on March 13 after its former governor, Choe Heung-sik, resigned over allegations that he was involved in hiring irregularities at the bank for which he served as president.

The probe confirmed that Choe asked KEB Hana Bank, which was known as Hana Bank at the time, to hire the son of a colleague in 2013, who then landed a job at the bank. Hana Bank acquired Korea Exchange Bank in 2015, becoming KEB Hana.


In 2013, the bank hired 229 college graduates, 32 of whom were hired after allegedly receiving recommendations from the bank's senior executives and suggestions from other sources, which could be viewed as favors, according to the probe.

The FSS referred the cases to prosecutors for further investigation.

Since last year, some banks have come under fire for allegations that they gave undue favors or special treatment to job applicants with ties to top bank executives or top-tier customers in their recruitment processes.(Yonhap)