Hana Bank welcomes new year at military bases with service members

Hana Bank executives and employees celebrated the start of 2026 by sharing hot bowls of rice cake soup and exchanging New Year's greetings with soldiers at military bases nationwide, the company said Thursday.

Hana Bank CEO Lee Ho-seoung, sixth from left, and employees pose for a photo with the commander of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division, fifth from left, and military officials during a visit to the Dora Observatory at the 1st Infantry Division base in Paju, Gyeonggi, on Jan. 1. [HANA BANK]

Hana Bank executives and employees celebrated the start of 2026 by sharing hot bowls of tteokguk (rice cake soup) and exchanging New Year's greetings with soldiers at military bases nationwide, the company said Thursday.

The company organized the event to express gratitude to the soldiers protecting the country and to demonstrate its commitment to supporting service members with its financial services, Hana Bank said in its news release.

The event coincided with the bank's assumption of the role of operator for the third "Nara Sarang Card" program, a government-backed initiative for enlisted soldiers, from this year. Hana Bank, Shinhan Bank and the Industrial Bank of Korea will operate the program from 2026 to 2033.

The Nara Sarang Card is a payment and identification system used by Korean soldiers during mandatory military service. It combines bankbook, military ID and debit card functions and is used for salary payments, medical examinations, reserving training appointments after discharge and more.

Hana Bank CEO Lee Ho-seoung and around 100 employees from the bank's headquarters visited military personnel at the Dora Observatory at the Army’s 1st Infantry Division in Paju, Gyeonggi, near the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas.

The employees watched the year's first sunrise with military officials and later ate tteokguk, a traditional New Year's meal, in the army canteen, Hana Bank said. The bank also delivered donations to support the division.

Workers at regional Hana offices also made similar visits to eight other military units including those in the Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, Jeolla and Gyeongsang provinces, the company said.

“The company will provide value and benefits that go beyond finance through the Hana Nara Sarang Card by bringing together our full organizational capabilities for service members who serve the nation," Lee said at the Dora Observatory, according to the company.

"Hana Bank will spare no effort or support to become a lifelong financial partner the military can trust as a companion that grows together with it.”

The bank said it will also develop military-tailored financial products and cooperate in programs aimed at improving service members' welfare.

BY KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]