Hana Bank, led by CEO Ji Sung-kyu, announced on Jan. 20 that it has succeeded in issuing mid- to long-term foreign currency bonds worth 500 million euros.
The issued bond is a fixed-rate euro-denominated covered bond with a five-year maturity and an annual interest rate of -0.170%.
The publishers were BNP Paribas, Citi, JP Morgan, Societe Generale, and Credit Agricole Securities, and received the highest rating of "AAA" from international credit rating agencies Standard & Poor's and Fitch.
In particular, it was recently issued in the form of Social Bonds, reflecting interest in ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) bonds that emphasize corporate social responsibility.
An official from Hana Bank said, "This euro covered bond is not only issued at negative interest rates, but also at the lowest interest rate ever among Korean euro public bonds, and it is meaningful in that it has diversified procurement methods and expanded investor base."
In order to share and overcome the difficulties caused by COVID-19, Hana Bank has been operating a "COVID-19 financial support window" at its branches nationwide since March last year to provide emergency management safety funds, suspend principal repayment and reduce interest rates.
