Hana Financial Group is tilted towards retaining current chairman Kim Jung-tai for a fourth term to maintain organizational stability amid lingering challenges from Covid-19 economic shocks.

The group’s chairman selection committee said Monday it has shortlisted four candidates for the chairman post – current Chairman Kim Jung-tai, Vice Chairman Ham Young-joo, Hana Bank Vice President Park Sung-ho, and Park Jin-hei, ex-CEO of Citibank Korea. The committee will pick one candidate by the end of this month for the final vote at the general shareholders’ meeting in late March.

“Organizational stability” would be a priority, said the committee upon announcing the shortlist. The committee earlier this month had rounded up 14 candidates after evaluation on entrepreneurship, business vision, and financial and management expertise, said the group.

Chair Kim Jung-tai would be the best candidate in terms of sustaining “organizational stability.” Another internal choice - Vice Chairman Ham Young-joo – face charges on hiring irregularities.

The committee, however, would need a stronger ground to retain Kim for the fourth term as he is 69 years old, a year short of the 70-year ceiling for an executive post, and won’t be able to finish the three-year term.

By Moon Il-ho, Kim Yoo-shin, and Cho Jeehyun

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]