KB Financial Group

South Korea's largest bank, KB Kookmin Bank, is collaborating with JPMorgan Chase to launch a blockchain-based cross-border payment service using JPMorgan's Kinexys platform. The service will handle corporate dollar payments and does not require customers to own cryptocurrency or manage a wallet. Separately, South Korean trading giant POSCO International and LG CNS are testing tokenized trade receivables on the Injective network. Both initiatives reflect a trend of major institutions adopting blockchain technology as underlying infrastructure without direct exposure to decentralized tokens.

KB Financial Group posted a 13.1% year-over-year increase in net profit for the first half of 2026, reaching KRW3,884.6 billion, as total operating income surpassed KRW10 trillion for the first time in its history. The group's CET1 ratio improved to 13.74%, exceeding the 13.5% threshold and enabling additional shareholder returns, including a KRW700 billion share buyback and cancellation. Fee income drove the operating income milestone, while group noninterest income rose 33.3% year-over-year, supported by securities brokerage fees and capital market-linked product sales. The securities subsidiary contributed approximately 21% of net income, underscoring growth in non-banking earnings. However, net interest margins declined, with the group NIM falling 5 basis points quarter-over-quarter to 1.94%, and nonoperating profit dropped sharply due to high base effects from prior provisioning and asset disposals.