Shin Soo Choo of the Cincinnati Reds and Hyun-Jin Ryu of the LA Dodgers have joined forces as spoke models for Hanmi Bank.

▲Cincinnati Reds / Shin Soo Choo

All star baseball athletes Shin Soo Choo of the Cincinnati Reds and Hyun Jin Ryu of the Los Angeles Dodgers are the leading Korean athlete figures in American Baseball League. Not only are these tough athletes winning the hearts of baseball fans on the field, but they also are melting hearts of the fans off the field.

At a press conference and signing ceremony at Garden Suite Hotel in Los Angeles, Hanmi Financial Corporation, the holding company for Hanmi Bank announced that Shin Soo Choo and Hyun-Jin Ryu have been chosen as the bank’s marketing spokespersons. Shin-Soo Choo, a veteran Hanmi Bank spoke model since 2011, renewed the contract for 2 more years, whereas Hyun- Jin Ryu signed a 6-year contract to represent Hanmi Bank while playing for the LA Dodgers. Along with the agreement and introduction of an outline of 2013 marketing plans for Hanmi Bank, they did a sneak preview of the new 2013 branding campaigns.

The 2013 branding campaign is quite charming, where the focus of the advertisement is drawn to Hyun- Jin Ryu in a chef ’s outfit and Shin Soo Choo donning an apron, surrounded by flowers. Not only does this tone down the masculinity of both athletes, but it also conveys Hanmi Bank’s effort in engaging and relating more to people. Hanmi Bank is not just a bank, they are a community leader, just like Shin Soo Choo and Hyun Jin Ryu.

Additionally, Hanmi Bank will donate $1,000 for every home-run and stolen bases that Choo achieves during each season to the Choo Foundation, a charity organization founded by Choo to help the disadvantaged. Similarly, Hanmi Bank will donate $100 for each strikeout during each season to the non-profit organization of Ryu’s choice.

▲Los Angeles Dodgers / Hyun-Jin Ryu

“Shin-Soo Choo has successfully represented Hanmi to build a positive image during the past two years,” said Jay S. Yoo, President and Chief Executive Officer. “This image we have built will serve as a solid foundation for Hanmi’s future. Furthermore, Ryu’s bold move to re-establish his career as a major league baseball player in Los Angeles, following his successful and flourishing career in Korea exemplifies our spirit of embracing new challenges and illustrates our dedication to growth. I am looking forward to the success of these two athletes in our marketing campaign.”

About Hanmi Financial
Corporation

Headquartered in Los Angeles, Hanmi Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hanmi Financial Corporation, provides services to the multi-ethnic communities of California, with 27 fullservice offices in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, San Francisco, Santa Clara and San Diego counties, and a loan production office in Washington State. Hanmi Bank specializes in commercial, SBA and trade finance lending, and is a recognized community leader. Hanmi Bank’s mission is to provide a full range of quality products and premier services to its customers and to maximize stockholder value.

Additional information is available at www.hanmi.com.