[Digital Today reporter Lee Ji-young] Global fintech company Hecto Financial was named an "overall excellence company" at the "2025 Kosdaq Market Disclosure Excellence Company" awards ceremony held on March 5 at the Korea Exchange building in Yeouido.

The disclosure excellence company programme is a system in which the Korea Exchange selects listed companies each year that contribute to improving transparency in capital market management and boosting investor trust. It recognises leading companies in four categories: long-term faithful disclosure, performance forecast disclosure, IR activities and overall evaluation.

Hecto Financial was selected as an "overall excellence company" after receiving high evaluations for making efforts to provide disclosures with high utility for investors by ensuring accuracy, timeliness and appropriateness, and for building disclosure work infrastructure.

Choi Jong-won (최종원), CEO of Hecto Financial, attended the ceremony. The head of IR, who is in charge of disclosure work, was also named a contributor to disclosure work and received an award.

Hecto Financial is also actively pursuing shareholder-friendly policies. In 2024, it established a four-year shareholder return policy and set 21 percent of separate net profit as the minimum dividend level. It is also implementing a mid- to long-term cash dividend policy that aims to raise the payout ratio by at least 1 percentage point each year to reach 25 percent or more. In 2025, it carried out a bonus issue as part of its shareholder-friendly policy and provided shareholder return effects worth about 3.6 billion won, reflecting the impact of treasury share cancellation.

The Korea Exchange selected a total of 15 companies, including Hecto Financial, as disclosure excellence companies across the four categories at the ceremony. Selected companies are granted qualifications for a three-year deferment from designation as an unfaithful disclosure company and receive benefits including exemption from completing annual education, publication on the electronic disclosure system, and a set prize.

Choi said the company will continue to strive to guarantee investor rights by making swift and accurate disclosures. He added it will continuously enhance shareholder value through a range of IR activities and shareholder-friendly policies.