Ham has contributed to the development of Changchun City by promoting financial relations
Hana Financial Group Vice Chairman Ham Young-joo has been selected as an honorary citizen of Changchun City, the province of Jilin in China, Hana Financial Group said on Oct. 10.
It is the third choice among Koreans since 1986 when Changchun City began to select foreign nationals for their contributions to the development of Changchun City as honorary citizens, Chung Kyeong-rae, a Hana Financial Group official, explained.
A total of 70 honorary citizens from 16 countries, including Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess, have been selected for the city's 33rd anniversary this year.
The Changchun City Government Review Committee finally selected Ham as an honorary citizen after a rigorous review of contribution to Changchun City, achievements and morality among various figures recommended from around the world, the spokesman said.
In particular, Ham was praised for achieving the highest level of business performance ever while serving as president of KEB Hana Bank. As vice chairman of Hana Financial Group at present, he has been leading the group well with honest and sincere management mind based on its unique simplicity and humanity, and has contributed to the development of Changchun City through continuous strengthening financial development and social contribution in Korea and China.
Vice Chairman Ham led the strategic joint MOU signed with the Jilin provincial government of China in July last year and contributed to securing strategic partnerships for financial cooperation in the three northeastern provinces and Russia's Far East.
Through KEB Hana Bank's Hana Financial Management Research Institute, the bank also established the "Jilin Financial Research Center" in April 2017 in collaboration with the Jilin Bank and the University of Jilin.
Vice Chairman Ham said, "I am very happy and proud to be selected as an honorary citizen of Changchun City. In the future, Hana Financial Group will seek ways to develop together by playing a leading role in economic cooperation projects between Korea and China that pursue the New Northern Policy while maintaining good relations with Changchun City."