The stock price of the financial holding company soars, and the CEO's personal share valuation significantly increases.

Thanks to the government’s and companies’ efforts to improve shareholder returns and record-breaking profits, the stock prices of major financial holding companies have surged sharply. This has significantly increased the valuation gains of the CEOs holding their own company’s shares.

According to data from the Korea Exchange, the stock prices of Korea’s four major financial holding companies—KB Financial, Shinhan Financial, Hana Financial, and Woori Financial—have been rising continuously since 2025, reaching 165,300 KRW, 99,900 KRW, 124,900 KRW, and 38,950 KRW respectively this month. Compared to the end of last year, their stock prices have increased by over 30%, nearly doubling since the beginning of this year.

Analysts point out that this round of stock price increases is driven by government policies aimed at enhancing shareholder value and the record-high net profits these financial holding companies posted last year. For example, KB Financial Group reported a net profit of 58.43 trillion KRW, and Woori Financial Group achieved its highest net profit even after fully reflecting the LTV collusion fines.

The rise in stock prices has greatly increased the wealth of CEOs holding large amounts of their own company’s shares. For instance, Hana Financial Chairman Hyun Young-ju is estimated to gain about 12.33 billion KRW from purchasing 15,132 shares of his own stock; Shinhan Financial Chairman Chun Yudong’s holdings are valued at approximately 10.5 billion KRW.

While such stock price increases bring pride to business leaders, the benefits for middle-class and ordinary citizens with limited shareholdings are minimal. High-income groups tend not to convert stock gains into consumption, so rising stock prices may not significantly boost consumer spending. To ensure future financial market stability and balanced overall economic development, these issues must also be taken into account.