News & Stories

January 2026

Hanmi Bank Enters into Two Memorandums of Understanding to Support the Expansion of Korean Companies into the U.S. Market

Hanmi Bank has entered into two Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) designed to support and promote the efforts of Korean companies seeking to expand their business into the U.S. market. These agreements are part of Hanmi Bank’s growing Corporate Korea initiative through which the bank assists Korean companies to execute on their U.S. expansion plans.

On Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, Bonnie Lee, Hanmi Bank President and Chief Executive Officer, and Youngjin Jang, Chairman and President of Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-Sure), signed an MOU at Hanmi’s headquarters in Los Angeles. The agreement outlines financial support for qualifying Korean companies’ exports or orders, supply chain, energy, and new business transactions in the U.S. market. K-Sure, the official export credit agency under Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, supports more than 25% of Korea’s annual exports and, in 2025, provided over KRW 260 trillion in insurance and guarantees to support Korea’s exports and overseas investments.

In a separate event in San Jose, CA, on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, Hanmi Bank and Korea Technology Finance Corporation (KOTEC) entered into an MOU to strengthen cooperation between the two organizations to promote the entry of Korea-based small and medium-sized enterprises, primarily in the technology sector, into the U.S. market. Hanmi Bank expects to leverage its U.S. branch network to provide local market intelligence, mentor connections, and business consulting for the companies entering the U.S.

“We are delighted to enter into these MOUs with K-Sure and KIBO, which we believe will create real value for our clients by leveraging the expertise of each participating organization,” said Ms. Lee. “With our well-established experience and capabilities as well as our strong community relationships, Hanmi will serve as a trusted financial partner to help Korean companies across multiple industry sectors successfully establish themselves and grow in the U.S. market.”

K-Sure Chairman and President Youngjin Jang, who attended the signing ceremony on Tuesday, said, “Establishing a strategic partnership with Hanmi Bank, the leading Korean-American bank in the U.S., is expected to greatly help Korean companies enhance their competitiveness as they prepare to enter the U.S. market. We will do our utmost to ensure that Korean companies do not face difficulties due to a lack of financial support when entering the U.S.”

KOTEC CEO, Jongho Kim, commented, “This agreement is significant as it lays the foundation for Korean tech companies to more effectively enter the U.S. startup and investment ecosystem. Moving forward, KOTEC will continue to support the global expansion of Korean SMEs in a more structured way, leveraging our global network and collaborating with international partners.”

About Korea Trade Insurance Corporation

Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-Sure) was established in July 1992 upon the Trade Insurance Act for the goal of promoting trade and overseas investment of Korean enterprises with the mission to boost national competitiveness. It develops various trade insurance products and value-added services with the aim of contributing to the promotion of Korean exports as well as international trade. K-Sure supports more than 25% of Korea’s annual exports and, in 2025, provided over KRW260 trillion in insurance and guarantees to support Korea’s exports and overseas investments.

About Korea Technology Finance Corporation

The Korean Technology Finance Corporation (KOTEC) is a special-purpose non-profit financial institution established in 1989 to help spur economic growth in South Korea through the provision of financial support to new technology businesses. This is primarily done in the form of credit guarantees based on technology appraisals. KOTEC has been instrumental in providing KRW280 trillion in technology guarantees to date.ether to keep your financial information safe and secure. Thank you for being a valued part of our Hanmi community!