Kwon Joon-hak (first from left), president of NH Bank, Kim Hak-soo (second from left), president of Korea Financial Telecommunications and Clearings Institute (KFTC) and Son Chang-wan (third from left), president of Korea Airports Corporation participate in hand printing to commemorate the launch of a joint biometric information service at Gimpo Airport on April 17. (Photo: NH Bank)

NH Bank announced on May 18 that it will operate a joint service that allows people to board flights with their biometric information, after signing an agreement with Korea Airports Corporation from May 17 to jointly use biometric information for the first time in the financial sector.

Biometric information registration has been possible only at airports. But customers who have registered their palm biometric information with NH Bank can board domestic flights without registering biometric information and identification at the airport (domestic flights from Gimpo, Gimhae, and Jeju in Korea).

People can use this service by registering their’s biometric information through NH Son Hanaro Certification Service at an NH Bank branch and installing the Korea Airports Corporation’s Smart Airport Guide App after signing up for NH Smart Banking.

The NH Son Hanaro Certification Service allows customers aged 19 or older to sign up for the service. Customers can use NH Bank services by authenticating their the veins in their palms without the need for identification cards or debit cards.

But the service is not available for minors, foreigners and Koreans with no official address in Korea.

NH Bank will select 200 customers who signed up for the NH Son Hanaro Certification Service by Dec. 31. The bank will give them mobile chicken coupons.

The customer who will register as the 500,000th user of the service will be given one million won worth of agricultural gift certificates. Golden keys will be given to those who will register 499,999th and 500,001st.

“We expect the NH Son Hanaro Certification Service which was introduced jointly by NH Bank and Korea Airports Corporation, to set a good example of creating synergies between the two different industries,” said Kwon Joon-hak, president of NH Bank.

“We will introduce various life-centric financial services that can offer convenience to people in their daily lives.”

In addition, NH Bank announced on May 7 that it signed a business agreement on jointly promoting energy conservation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions with Korea Environment Corporation at NH Bank Headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul on May 6.

Under the agreement, NH Bank will provide higher interest rates for NH Bank’s loans on May 10 to individuals who will sign up for the Carbon Point System, and will expand preferential financial services such as higher rates for deposits and better money exchange conditions in the future.

The agreement is aimed at mutual cooperation between the Korea Environmental Corporation, which is seeking to expand the base of the “carbon point system,” and NH Bank, which is actively promoting ESG (environmental, social and governance) management.

The Carbon Point System is a pan-national greenhouse gas emission reduction program being pushed forward with by the government.

It gives individuals points depending on their saving electricity, gas and tap water at homes and apartments. They can exchange the points with cash and gift certificates among others.

“As the Carbon Point System is a program that helps people easily prune greenhouse gas emissions at home in everyday lives, we will actively promote it among people who use NH Bank and provide better financial services for those who will join this program,” an NH Bank official said.

In the meantime, NH Bank donated five million won for elderly people living alone to an elderly welfare center during Big Love Party for Parents Day held in JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square of Seoul on May 7.

Big Love Party for Parents Day is a Parents Day event hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare for senior citizens living alone with the attendance of about 40 people including Health and Welfare Minister Kwon Deok-chul and those from the Korean business community. The event presented a video screening about elderly care services.

Participating senior citizens wore carnations on their breasts, cut birthday cake and received gifts. Some part of the event was held through YouTube broadcasts.

NH Bank has been running an elderly care program for 14 years as part of its social contribution activities since 2008.

In this program, workers of the NH Bank Call Center call about 1,000 elderly living alone every week to become friends to walk with. They also ask them about the inconveniences of their living and address them.