IBK Annual Report 2025

Elevating SME Finance Competitiveness

As a policy financial institution, IBK continues to provide financial support for SMEs and microbusinesses. The bank maintains a field-oriented approach to ensure steady funding even amid a rapidly changing business environment.

SME Finance

As of the end of 2025, SME loans outstanding surpassed KRW 260 trillion—a first in the banking sector—with a market share of 24.41%, up year-on-year. This reinforced IBK's leading position in SME finance.

IBK has operated financial consultation desks at branches nationwide since April 2025 to support businesses affected by shifts in the global trade environment and US tariff policies. As of the end of 2025, IBK had conducted consultations with 16,779 companies and provided KRW 256.8 billion in financial support to 237 companies. Specialized corporate loan products accounted for KRW 17.2 trillion in 2025, reinforcing the effectiveness of policy finance.

Bolstering Comprehensive Financial and Nonfinancial Support for Microbusinesses

IBK established a comprehensive support framework covering both financial and nonfinancial services for microbusinesses facing challenges from the prolonged domestic demand slowdown. In 2025, IBK launched the "IBK Dream Package for Microbusinesses" totaling KRW 7.5 trillion, providing financial support tailored to each stage—from startup and growth to overcoming business difficulties.

Additionally, the bank set up financial consultation desks for microbusinesses at branches nationwide and launched specialized consulting programs in tax, accounting, labor relations, and business recovery. By the end of 2025, over 1,700 nonfinancial consulting sessions had been delivered, helping microbusinesses build their operational capabilities.

Win-Win Growth Vendor Loan

IBK continues to operate the Win-Win Growth Vendor Loan program to foster shared growth between large enterprises and SMEs. The program channels low-interest funding to vendors of large enterprises, backed by deposits from participating entities. As of the end of 2025, IBK had supplied approximately KRW 27.8 trillion in cumulative funding to over 50,000 vendors, improving SMEs' access to financing. The program broadens the foundation for win-win cooperation among large enterprises, middle-market enterprises, public institutions, and SMEs.

Reinforcing Support for Export and Import Companies

IBK supports SMEs' expansion into global markets and backs the resilient operations of export and import companies, delivering financial and nonfinancial assistance aligned with the evolving global trade environment.

Financial Support

Despite a deteriorating external environment and heightened global financial market volatility, IBK actively addressed the financing needs of export and import companies through field-oriented foreign exchange support. As of the end of December 2025, IBK's foreign exchange (FX) transaction volume reached USD 158.1 billion, achieving 106.8% of its target. Its market share in the export–import support segment rose to 9.98%, up 0.76%p from the beginning of the year, delivering both quantitative and qualitative growth in foreign exchange operations.

As a policy financial institution, IBK also actively supported the government's export promotion policies. To assist exporters facing funding difficulties amid a high-tariff environment, the bank partnered with relevant institutions—centered on the steel industry—to launch a special contribution program. This helped stabilize export supply chains and improve corporate financing conditions.

The bank also extended the maturity of its import letter of credit (L/C) program to assist SMEs facing difficulties in settling import payments due to sharp exchange rate fluctuations. IBK provided collateral deposit exemptions and maturity extensions for a total of 3,621 import L/Cs, easing liquidity pressures from exchange rate volatility and helping stabilize corporate operations.

Nonfinancial Support

IBK hosted the 51st On-Tact IBK Trade Business Practice Academy, providing hands-on training to strengthen the practical capabilities of export and import company practitioners. The program covered the latest developments in trade compliance, FX risk management, and FX transaction regulations, building corporate preparedness for the evolving trade landscape.

The bank also supported SME exporters in developing overseas sales channels through partnerships with global financial institutions. IBK hosted an export consultation session in collaboration with Japan's MUFG Bank, expanding overseas market entry opportunities for Korean SMEs in key industries such as cosmetics and boosting their export competitiveness.

Digital Innovation in Corporate Banking

IBK integrates digital technology across its corporate banking operations to enhance customer convenience and financial accessibility. The bank deepens its services through data- and platform-driven innovation.

Sharpening Data-Driven Corporate Banking Channel Competitiveness

IBK is reinforcing its corporate banking channel competitiveness through data-driven marketing and microbusiness-focused campaigns. As of the end of December 2025, monthly active users (MAU) of corporate banking services reached an all-time high of 653,000. This milestone reflects the steady expansion of digital touchpoints with corporate clients, built on capabilities accumulated since 2019. This achievement is particularly significant as it demonstrates IBK's digital competitiveness in corporate banking, even amid intensifying competition from internet-only banks.

The bank grew e-branch users—its corporate fund management system—by 63% year-on-year, driven by headquarters-led marketing diversification and a comprehensive sales support framework. IBK attracted high-quality corporate clients through partnerships with groupware providers and region-based consultants. Corporate clients using e-branch maintained a retention rate above 75% even after their loan transactions ended, demonstrating the platform's role in sustaining customer relationships.

Innovating Customer-Centric Non-Face-to-Face Process

IBK introduced the One-Shot Report and Application Service, as well as a non-face-to-face electronic delegation service for corporate clients, enabling complex transactions without a branch visit. The bank consolidated previously multi-step reporting and application procedures into a single screen with e-signature-based processing, improving customer convenience while reducing branch workload. IBK plans to gradually extend this approach to deposits, cards, and other services.

Building Out B2B Platforms and Deepening Embedded Finance

IBK deployed Banking as a Service (BaaS) solutions tailored to franchises and e-commerce businesses and launched IBK One-Stop Commerce—the only automated payment collection and management service in the banking sector—expanding corporate banking into the B2B platform domain. IBK BaaS deployment for franchise businesses—including Goobne Chicken—generated cumulative card transaction volume of KRW 215 billion. The bank also expanded into the e-commerce market through a partnership with Meatbox, a B2B livestock product platform. These achievements represent a successful case of embedded finance that bridges financial and nonfinancial services, laying the groundwork for further expansion into the logistics and distribution sectors.

Enhancing Digital Inclusion and Preventing Financial Fraud

IBK obtained web and app accessibility certification for its corporate banking services and fully deployed a pre-screening service for suspected fraudulent accounts. These measures improved usability for financially vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities and elderly customers, while proactively detecting 564 suspected fraud cases during transfers to safeguard customer assets. Going forward, the bank will advance non-face-to-face identity verification to foster a safe digital banking environment.

IBK BOX: Elevating the Digital SME Finance Platform

IBK continues to enhance IBK BOX, its digital corporate banking platform, to improve financial accessibility and usability for SMEs. Thanks to these efforts, IBK BOX received the "Best SME Digital Lending Solution" award at the 2025 Global SME Banking Innovation Awards hosted by The Digital Banker, a globally recognized news, business intelligence, and research provider for the worldwide financial services sector.

The Digital Banker recognized IBK BOX as Korea's first web-based SME business support platform. It highlighted the platform's contribution to improving financial accessibility by enabling access without app installation and incorporating advanced technologies such as facial recognition and public MyData integration. In particular, the platform's Loan Gateway BOX was commended for facilitating a fully non-face-to-face, end-to-end loan process—from application to disbursement—enabling SMEs to secure funding regardless of time or location. Automated document collection and digital screening—which streamline complex lending procedures and lower barriers for SMEs—were also cited as key factors behind the award.

Supporting SME Growth and the Employment Ecosystem

Beyond financial support, IBK is expanding assistance across the full spectrum of business management—including employment, talent development, and business succession—to support the sustainable growth of SMEs. These efforts contribute to job creation within SMEs and strengthen the stability of the SME employment ecosystem.

Support for Job Creation in SMEs

IBK pioneered SME job creation programs in the financial sector in 2009. As of the end of December 2025, cumulative job placements reached 263,349. In 2025, the number of youth job placements increased by 8,351 year-on-year, contributing to the expansion of youth employment. The bank also signed an MOU with Gyeonggi University of Science and Technology (GTEC) to address labor shortages among SMEs in the root industry sector, expanding field-oriented job placement support to include international students.

Operating "i-ONE JOB"

IBK operates i-ONE JOB, Korea's only comprehensive job platform dedicated to SMEs and middle-market companies. As of the end of 2025, the platform serves 16,144 SMEs and 120,000 individual members, providing a one-stop service that encompasses job postings and talent matching. In 2025, the bank introduced digital- and ESG-related training programs aligned with changes in industrial policy and significantly expanded statutory training, easing the education cost burden on SMEs. Additionally, IBK partnered with wrtn Technologies, an AI company, to enhance AI-based employment support services, assisting job seekers throughout the search process.

Operating the Job Chaeum Fund

IBK has operated the "Job Chaeum Fund," totaling KRW 60 billion since its launch in 2018, to actively support SMEs in job creation. As of December 2025, a cumulative total of KRW 33.48 billion had been provided to 2,128 companies. In 2025, the scope of support was further expanded, with a focus on enterprises demonstrating strong technological capabilities.

Throughout 2025, the bank hosted 73 job fairs, resulting in 9,282 job seekers securing employment. Demand-driven events—including the campus recruiting fair at Gachon University and job fairs in Hanam and Seoul—connected young professionals, middle-aged workers, and candidates in future strategic industries with prospective employers.

Expanding Welfare Support for SME Workers

IBK operates a range of welfare support programs to improve the living stability and working conditions of SME employees. In 2025, the bank supported 22,000 workers through three welfare programs—vacation subsidies, childbirth celebration vouchers, and cultural welfare vouchers—improving welfare accessibility for SME employees and improving work-life balance.

M&A Brokerage Service for SMEs

IBK operates an SME mergers and acquisitions (M&A) brokerage service to facilitate smooth business succession for SMEs facing challenges such as aging business owners and the absence of successors. The bank provides step-by-step support across the entire M&A process—from corporate valuation and buyer-seller matching to specialized advisory referrals—for companies seeking to sell or acquire businesses, supporting sustainable growth and business continuity for SMEs.

As of the end of December 2025, cumulative applications for the SME M&A brokerage service reached 937. The bank also operates the non-face-to-face IBK M&A Center, enabling M&A consultations and progress regardless of time or location. IBK enhances M&A accessibility for SMEs and helps minimize potential management disruptions during business succession.

Strengthening the Network of SME CEOs

IBK operates the "IBK 3 CEO Clubs" to promote networking and collaboration among SME leaders. The initiative hosts regular seminars and networking events for outstanding SME leaders by industry and corporate size, sharing insights on the evolving business landscape and management expertise. In 2025, the bank held regular seminars and networking programs with a diverse group of SME leaders. Notably, the Female CEO Club hosted its first overseas seminar in the first half of the year, broadening members' understanding of the global business environment. The bank also held integrated Three CEO Clubs seminars in Busan and Gwangju, bringing together leaders across generations, genders, and regions, to listen directly to perspectives from the SME community and deepen engagement with key clients.

IBK also operates the "IBK Hall of Fame" to recognize and honor SMEs that have achieved sustained growth and contributed to long-term industrial development. The program highlights the achievements and management philosophies of long-standing and high-growth companies, promoting enduring growth models for SMEs. Since its establishment in 2009, the IBK Hall of Fame has inducted 42 leaders across 22 ceremonies, raising public recognition of SMEs committed to integrity and long-term growth, and fostering a positive perception of SME entrepreneurship.