Calvin Choi met with Kim Jung-Tai, Chairman and CEO of Hana Financial Group, and signed a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement with KEB Hana Bank.

 

On 18th of February, Calvin Choi, Chairman and CEO of AMTD Group, visited Seoul to meet with Kim Jung-tai, the Chairman and CEO of Hana Financial Group, the largest financial group in South Korea, to discuss in-depth cooperation in fields including cross-border finance, FinTech and capital markets. The two sides further deepened strategic cooperation and friendship to a higher level, following the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement in 2016 with KEB Hana Global Finance, a wholly owned international investment banking platform of the Hana Financial Group, and the signing of strategic cooperation agreement in 2018 by AMTD and KEB Hana Bank, the most internationalized bank in South Korea.

Hana Financial Group is the world's leading financial holding group and the largest financial group in South Korea, with the broadest international network within the Korean financial system. The predecessor of Hana Financial Group was Korea Investment & Finance Corporation established in 1971. In 1991, it was renamed as Hana Bank and became the Hana Financial Group in 2005. As the flagship of Hana Financial Group, KEB Hana Bank is one of the largest banks in South Korea and the most international bank in South Korea. It has been rated multiple times as the “Best Bank in Asia Pacific” and “Bank of the Year in Korea” by journals such as The Banker.

Kim Jung-tai expressed his warm welcome to Calvin Choi and AMTD’s management. He praised highly AMTD’s rapid development and achievements in the past few years, and looked forward to creating an example of South Korea – Hong Kong financial innovation cooperation, by sharing resources and innovating together in fields including fintech, capital markets, international investment banking businesses and resources networks. He also mentioned in the face of growing trend of rapid developments in digitalization and fintech, it is increasingly important that financial institutions work together to innovate and develop. China’s “Belt and Road” initiative and the Greater Bay Area initiative have created abundant of development opportunities. As one of the largest non-bank financial institutions in Hong Kong, AMTD Group has developed rapidly and has grown great influence in international capital market, asset management, new economy and fintech. Hana Financial Group is looking forward to continuous cooperation with AMTD, advance, strengthen communication, deepen strategic partnership, complement each other and work together to reach a new peak.

Calvin Choi expressed his gratitude to Kim Jung-tai and Hana Financial Group for their hospitality. He briefly introduced to Kim Jung-tai on the development of AMTD Group in the past few years, especially in the innovation and development of the Asian fintech industry, the creation of the “AMTD SpiderNet”, and the establishment of Regional Banks+ Strategic Cooperation Alliance, promoting exchanges and cooperation between traditional financial institutions and fintech companies. Calvin Choi said that AMTD is very pleased to raise the cooperation with Hana Financial Group to a new level. AMTD has been committed to playing the "super connector" role, by promoting the interconnection of capital markets in China, Asia and even globally, helping more and more Chinese companies and even Asian companies to use the platform and advantages of Hong Kong's international capital market to continuously innovate and grow globally. AMTD looks forward to bridging Hana Financial Group with Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and even China. AMTD also looks forward to further strengthening exchanges with Hana Financial Group to promote fintech innovation, develop cross-border financial cooperation, share business opportunities, strengthen information exchange and jointly explore investment opportunities. It is expected great effort from both parties to promote the cooperation between the two groups and to build a cooperation model of a Hong Kong non-bank financial institutions with a Korean financial holding group.

Liu Difeng, Vice President of Hana Financial Group, Ji Sung-Kyoo, Vice President of KEB Hana Bank and Chief Global Strategy Officer and other senior management of Hana Financial Group and KEB Hana Bank attended the meeting. Frederic Lau, CEO of Capital Markets & Advisory of AMTD Group, Philip Yau, Chief Financial Officer, William Fung, Head of CIO Office, and Tim Fang, Head of Debt Capital Markets, and Ming Lin Cheung, Executive Director of Capital Markets & Advisory and Head of Special Situations also participated.

AMTD has established a long-term friendly strategic partnership with Hana Financial Group. The two sides have maintained frequent high-level visits, exchanges and business cooperation. At the beginning of 2016, following the rollout of new management team, AMTD signed a strategic cooperation agreement with KEB Hana Global Finance, the international investment banking platform of Hana Financial Group, and the two sides reciprocated in the capital market for mutual benefit by comprehensive cooperation, KEB Hana Global Finance twice served as the dealer for the medium-term note program of AMTD, and also served as the joint bookrunner of the debut public market bond issuance; at the end of 2018, AMTD signed a strategic cooperation agreement with KEB Hana Bank, the most international bank under Hana Financial Group. The two sides will carry out all-round cooperation in the fields of bank credit, cross-border finance, fintech and capital markets, upgrading the strategic cooperation relationship between the two parties to a higher level.