IM Financial Group139130.KS

About IM Financial Group

IM Financial Group, formerly DGB Financial Group, is the holding company for iM Bank, the Daegu-based lender that became the first Korean regional bank to convert into a nationwide commercial bank. The group also controls a securities firm, a life insurer, a capital financing unit, and asset management operations. Interest income from lending to households and to small and mid-sized manufacturers in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region remains the profit engine, while the nationwide license allows the bank to pursue borrowers beyond its home territory, largely through digital channels rather than new branches.

The conversion to a national banking license is the structural pivot investors assess: it widens the addressable market but pits a regional cost base against far larger nationwide incumbents. Legacy exposure to Daegu-Gyeongbuk manufacturers and real estate keeps credit quality tied to regional cycles, and the securities subsidiary has carried the project-financing risk common to mid-tier Korean brokers. Ownership is dispersed rather than family-controlled. As with peers, capital ratios and dividend capacity anchor the valuation framework for foreign holders.

The group grew out of Daegu Bank, founded in 1967 as Korea's first regional bank, which organized a holding company, DGB Financial Group, in 2011. Acquisitions broadened the base: a life insurer was purchased in the mid-2010s, and Hi Investment & Securities was acquired in 2018, adding brokerage to banking, insurance, and capital financing. In 2024 the flagship bank secured approval to convert into a nationwide commercial bank and rebranded as iM Bank, shedding the Daegu name after nearly six decades. The holding company and its subsidiaries subsequently unified under the iM identity, producing today's IM Financial Group.

Group profit still leans on the bank, which gathers deposits in its Daegu-Gyeongbuk stronghold and lends to regional manufacturers, small businesses, and households, earning a spread that management aims to extend nationally through mobile-first distribution rather than costly new branches. The securities subsidiary contributes brokerage and investment banking fees, the life insurer adds premium and investment income, and the capital unit writes auto and equipment finance. Cross-selling across these licenses is the strategic thread: the nationwide banking charter lets the group pursue customers of far larger rivals while keeping the lower cost base of a regional institution.

Company profile by LineVest editorial. Journalism, not investment advice. Commission a full DART-based report on IM Financial Group →