Company: SHG
Filing Date: 2025-04-23
Form Type: 20-F
Source: 0001193125-25-089950
Chunk: 36

Company: SHINHAN FINANCIAL GROUP CO LTD
Filing Date: 2025-04-23
Form: 20-F
Chunk 36
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,199 billion, respectively. Our large exposure to credit card and other consumer debt means that we are exposed to changes in economic conditions affecting Korean consumers in general. For example, a rise in unemployment, an increase in interest rates, a downturn in the real estate market, or a general contraction or other difficulties affecting the Korean economy may lead Korean consumers to reduce spending (a substantial portion of which is conducted through credit card transactions), which in turn leads to reduced earnings for our credit card business, as well as to higher default rates on credit card loans, deterioration in the quality of our credit card assets and increased difficulties in recovering written-off assets from which a significant portion of Shinhan Card’s revenues is derived. Any of these developments could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Increasing consumer and corporate spending and borrowing on our card products and growth in card lending balances depend in part on Shinhan Card’s ability to develop and issue new or enhanced card and prepaid products and increase revenue from such products and services, as well as the level of discretionary income among our cardholders, which is largely affected by macroeconomic factors beyond our control. In addition, credit card companies in Korea, including Shinhan Card, may not be able to enjoy any rapid growth in revenue over the long term due to the maturing nature of the credit card industry, in part due to oversaturation of credit card service providers. Shinhan Card’s future earnings and profitability also depend on its ability to attract new cardholders, reduce cardholder attrition, increase merchant coverage and capture a greater share of customers’ total credit card spending in Korea and overseas. Shinhan Card may not be able to manage and expand cardholder benefits in a cost-effective manner or contain the growth of marketing, promotion and reward expenses to a commercially reasonable level. If Shinhan Card is not successful in increasing customer spending, maintaining or expanding its market position and asset growth, or containing costs or cardholder benefits, its financial condition, results of operations and cash flow could be negatively affected.

Non-financial companies, such as e-commerce and retail business, as well as fintech companies have become major competitors in various business areas. Fast-growing online service providers and tech companies joined the financial payment service market, changing the landscape of the payment service industry. Convenient payment service providers such as Kakao Pay, Naver Pay, and Coupang Pay are competing against the payment services of Shinhan Card. As a response to such market changes, Shinhan Card developed the “Shinhan