[DigitalToday reporter Chi-gyu Hwang] Ant Group, a Chinese fintech giant, is gaining speed in its push into the global payments market. With Alipay Plus, its mobile payment network, some assessments say it has evolved into an alternative to Visa and Mastercard.

Alipay Plus currently connects more than 40 mobile payment apps across dozens of countries in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. It is used mainly by tourists at 150 million merchants in more than 100 countries. Centered on QR-code payments, it is growing by providing payment infrastructure at low fees to small businesses in developing countries where credit card penetration is low.

· Alipay's ambitious scenario evolving into an alternative to Visa and Mastercard

With the KOSPI extending its run to record highs since the start of the year, attention is turning to K Bank as it makes a third attempt at an initial public offering. The success or failure of the IPO is also emerging as a key variable that will determine whether the chief executive is reappointed, as it coincides with the CEO's term. K Bank also said its savings product, "Curious Savings", surpassed 1 million cumulative accounts about a year after its launch. Curious Savings is a one-month maturity savings product in which a random interest rate is accumulated each day a deposit is made, and the accumulated rate is applied at maturity after a month. K Bank is applying an unlimited public transport flat-rate pass, "Everyone's Card", to the K Bank ONE check card. Everyone's Card is an unlimited public transport flat-rate pass newly introduced by the government in the new year.

· Will K Bank's IPO succeed this time? ... Reappointment variable for President Choi Woo-hyung · K Bank's "Curious Savings" tops 1 million accounts · K Bank introduces unlimited public transport flat-rate pass "Everyone's Card"

Other major moves in the finance and fintech industry were also compiled.

KB Financial Group on Jan. 5 officially launched a "Group Cybersecurity Center" as the first domestic financial group to create a safe financial service environment that financial consumers can trust. KB Kookmin Bank added new types of rental housing to the LH subscription-only section provided on KB Real Estate, its comprehensive real estate platform. The LH subscription-only section has been providing information on subscriptions for LH housing-for-sale since December 2024, the first private platform to do so, based on a memorandum of understanding between KB Kookmin Bank and Korea Land and Housing Corp (LH).

· KB Financial launches first "cybersecurity center" among financial groups... "Strengthen prevention and preemptive response" · KB Real Estate opens rental housing service in "LH subscription-only section"

Woori Bank this year launched its "Expert Pick Portfolio" service to provide standardized model portfolios tailored to customers' life cycles and investment preferences. Monthly active users of Woori WON Business, Woori Bank's corporate finance-focused platform, surpassed 178,000 as of the end of last year.

· Woori Bank launches retirement pension portfolio picked by experts · Woori Bank's Woori WON Business MAU tops 178,000

Shinhan Bank on Jan. 9 launched "From One Month Savings (Weekly) X Hyundai Motor", offering interest rate benefits of up to 8.8 percent per year, limited to 10,000 accounts, with Hyundai Motor.

· Shinhan Bank launches partnership savings product with Hyundai Motor with up to 8.8 percent per year

Hana Bank launched a benefits package for Npay Connect merchants with Naver Pay. Npay Connect, operated by Naver Pay, is an offline integrated terminal that supports various payment methods customers want, including cash, cards, QR payments and pay. Merchants can apply for the terminal through Hanadeo Soho, a channel for sole proprietors within Hana Bank's mobile app.

· Hana Bank launches benefits package for Naver Pay terminal merchants

NH Nonghyup Bank is launching its strategic product, "NH Future Growth Company Loan". The loan supports corporate companies and sole proprietors subject to corporate review that operate in future growth industries designated by Nonghyup Bank, and it plans to flexibly adjust eligible industries by monitoring changes in the market environment. NH Nonghyup Capital will push in earnest in 2026 to expand customer-centered non-face-to-face services and accelerate its AI transition. It is verifying the feasibility of using generative AI across business areas, and based on the results it plans to gradually expand the scope of application and strengthen customer-facing digital services such as applications for interest rate cuts and issuance of debt certificates through continued upgrades to its mobile app and web. NH Investment & Securities, working with Koscom, developed its own "NHICS (NH Industry Classification Standard)", the first domestic securities firm to create an industry classification system specialized for the South Korean stock market.

· NH Nonghyup Bank launches "NH Future Growth Company Loan" for a major shift in productive finance · NH Nonghyup Capital: "Accelerate AI and non-face-to-face transition based on digital performance" · NH Investment & Securities develops South Korea-style industry classification system "NHICS"

Toss Bank is launching its overseas remittance service with the slogan "Send and See Overseas Remittance". According to the company, customers can check the progress of a transaction through the entire remittance process, and recipients will receive the exact amount sent by the remitter.

· Toss Bank launches overseas remittance service

Kakao Pay launched a new "international shipping" service. Kakao Pay international shipping focuses on minimizing the inconvenience of having to visit a branch in person, as with domestic shipping, and the hassle of filling out complicated paperwork.

· Kakao Pay launches "international shipping" service

As the third phase of the Nara Sarang Card is put into full swing, Shinhan Bank, Hana Bank and IBK Industrial Bank of Korea, selected as operators, have entered a battle to win over soldiers. The core of the third-phase competition is the practicality of benefits. Benefits such as movie theater discounts included in the previous Nara Sarang Card have disappeared, and the focus has shifted to areas with high actual usage, including OTT, delivery apps, convenience stores and public transport. Even for the same benefit categories, differences among banks are clear in discount rates, performance requirements and cap settings.

· "Soldiers will like it"... banks' Nara Sarang Card "benefits war"

B2B fintech company Finovers Lab officially launched "Semoa", a tax refund service for sole proprietors. Based on AI-based screening automation technology, Semoa comprehensively analyzes an applicant's industry, tax credit items and past filing history, and features a hybrid structure that provides one-stop support through actual filings and corrective refund claims by linking high-refund-probability applicants with specialist tax accounting firms.

· Finovers Lab launches "Semoa", a tax refund service tailored to sole proprietors

Lucentblock strongly objected, saying the financial authorities' licensing process for a token securities (STO) over-the-counter exchange is unfair. Chief executive Heo Se-young said at a news conference that the company filed a complaint with the Fair Trade Commission, raising allegations of technology theft by Nextrade.

· Lucentblock: "Our STO technology built over 7 years was stolen... filed with the Fair Trade Commission"

IBK Investment & Securities is holding an event to give Starbucks gift certificates to customers who try its generative artificial intelligence-based "AI Asset Diagnosis Service". The service is a comprehensive wealth management service that analyzes a user's financial investment assets and real estate assets together and provides everything from an assessment of asset status to tailored investment solutions and portfolios.

· IBK Investment & Securities unveils generative AI-based tailored investment solution service