[Digital Today reporter Ji-young Lee] iM Financial Group is running a training programme for outside directors across all affiliates on financial sector issues including AI, digital assets and risk management.

iM Financial said on July 16 it is working with the Korea Finance Institute to provide a tailored training programme for outside directors across all group affiliates through November.

The programme was designed to raise outside directors' understanding of changes in the financial environment and strengthen the board's decision-making and management oversight capabilities.

Training covers financial firms' AI transition strategies and outlook, the structure of stablecoins and their impact on financial markets, and the importance of risk management at financial firms and key review items.

The curriculum was structured to allow participants to examine major recent issues in the financial sector from a board perspective, including the spread of AI, changes in the digital asset market and expanding complex risks.

According to the company, iM Financial is also continuously improving its systems for appointing and evaluating outside directors and managing a candidate pool. It explained that it forms an expert candidate pool through recommendations from shareholders and external search firms, and operates a process in which a selection advisory committee made up of external experts evaluates preliminary candidates.

It also manages candidate pools for outside directors on an ongoing basis by specialty, including finance, accounting and finance, digital and financial consumer protection. It also introduced an external evaluation system to enhance outside directors' oversight function and the objectivity of evaluations.

iM Financial Chairman Byung-woo Hwang (황병우) said, "We will continuously strengthen outside directors' functions in management decision-making and oversight to advance our corporate governance system."