Shinhan Card tops S.Korea's EPG ranking for financial institutions

South Korea's Shinhan Card said on Monday it was ranked as the leading company in the domestic financial sector in an environment, population, and governance (EPG) management evaluation, which assesses corporate social responsibility and responses to the country's population crisis.

The EPG is a new evaluation standard created by the Korean Peninsula Population Institute for Future (KPPIF), a private think tank specializing in population issues.

This metric substitutes the social component of the traditional environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria with indicators focused on how companies address population challenges.

The evaluation reviewed 300 South Korean firms with total assets exceeding 1 trillion won ($751 million), examining four key areas: support for childbirth and childcare, work-life balance, fostering a pro-birth corporate culture, and community contributions.

The assessment covered 17 specific indicators.

Shinhan Card achieved a total score of 80.9 points, the highest among financial companies, and ranked third overall across all industries.

The average score for the 52 financial companies included in the evaluation was 60.2 points, which Shinhan Card notably outperformed.

The company’s policies, such as reduced working hours for pregnant employees during early and late stages of pregnancy and granting one day of leave per month regardless of pregnancy stage, were highlighted as exemplary, reflecting its strong commitment to addressing the population crisis.

Write to Mi-Hyun Jo at mwise@hankyung.com