Shinhan Financial Group (B)

By 2007, there were many signs that the merger of Chohung and Shinhan banks to form the Shinhan Financial Group in 2003 had met its goals. Shinhan Financial Group's stock price had increased from $31 a share at its opening on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2003, soon after the merger had been announced, to $91 in April 2006 after the legal merger occurred. Employees were also exhibiting increasing identification with the new bank. Looking into the future, the financial group hopes to expand overseas. In addition to pursuing opportunities in regional Asian markets, European and former Soviet markets as well as the large Korean immigrant community in the United States provide valuable expansion possibilities. The successful Chohung merger was an important first step in Shinhan's plans to become a global player in the financial services industry.