WOORI BANK | CIK:0001264136 |

ifrs-full:DisclosureOfNotesAndOtherExplanatoryInformationExplanatory

1. GENERAL

Woori Bank (hereinafter referred to the “Bank”), which is a controlling entity in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) 10—Consolidated Financial Statements, was established in 1899 and is engaged in the commercial banking business under the Banking Act, trust business under the Financial Investment Services and Capital Market Act, and foreign currencies exchange business with approval from the Bank of Korea (“BOK”) and the Ministry of Finance and Economy (“MOFE”).

Previously, Woori Finance Holdings Co., Ltd., the former holding company of Woori Financial Group, established on March 27, 2001 held a 100% ownership of the Bank. Effective November 1, 2014, Woori Finance Holdings Co., Ltd. completed its merger with and into Woori Bank, its wholly-owned subsidiary, as contemplated by the merger agreement dated July 28, 2014, by and between Woori Finance Holdings Co., Ltd. and Woori Bank. Accordingly, the shares of the Bank, 597 million shares, prior to the merger, were reduced to nil in accordance with capital reduction procedure, and then, in accordance with the merger ratio, the Bank newly issued 676 million shares. As a result, as of December 31, 2017, the common stock of the Bank amounts, expressed in Korean Won (the “KRW” or “Won”), to 3,381,392 million Won.

During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation (“KDIC”), as the majority shareholder of the Bank, sold 187 million shares in the Bank in accordance with the contract of ‘Disposal of Woori Bank’s shares to Oligopolistic Shareholders’. In addition to the sale, during the year ended December 31, 2017, KDIC sold additional 33 million shares. As of December 31, 2016 and 2017, KDIC held 158 million shares and 125 million shares (23.37% and 18.43% ownership interest) respectively, of the Bank’s shares issued.

On June 24, 2002, Woori Finance Holdings Co., Ltd. listed its common shares on the Korea Exchange through public offering. In addition, on September 29, 2003, the holding company registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the United States of America and, on the same day, listed its American Depositary Shares on the New York Stock Exchange. As Woori Finance Holdings Co., Ltd. was merged into the Bank, the Bank, which is the existing company, succeeded such rights and obligations as a listed company on the Korea Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange.

As a result of such merger, the Bank incorporated Woori Card Co., Ltd., Woori Investment Bank Co., Ltd., Woori FIS Co., Ltd., Woori Private Equity Asset Management Co., Ltd., and Woori Finance Research Institute Co., Ltd. as its subsidiaries.

The head office of the Bank is located in 51 Sogong-ro, Jung Gu, Seoul, Korea. The Bank has 876 branches and offices in Korea, and 23 branches and offices overseas as of December 31, 2017.

To determine whether the Group controls the structured entities, where the Group does not hold any ownership in them, the Group considered various factors in accordance with the Group’s accounting policy, which can be summarized as follows:

The Group is involved with structured entities, mainly through securitization of financial assets, investment fund, and money trust.

The structured entity is established for the purpose of securitization of project financing loans, corporate bonds, and other financial assets. The Group is involved with the structured entity through providing with credit facility over asset-backed commercial papers issued by the entity, originating loans directly to the structured entity, or purchasing 100% of the subordinated debts issued by the structured entity.

The structured entity is established for the purpose of investments in securities. The Group acquires beneficiary certificates through its contribution of fund to the structured entity, and it is exposed to the risk that it may not be able to recover its fund depending on the result of investment performance of asset managers of the structured entity.

The Group provides with financial guarantee of principal and interest or principal only to some of its trust products. Due to the financial guarantees, the Group may be obliged to supplement when the principal and interest or principal of the trust product sold is short of the guaranteed amount depending on the result of investment performance of the trust product.

Structured entities are assessed for consolidation in accordance with the accounting policy set out in Note 2. (2), and also refer to Note 1. (2).

Consolidated structured entities

The Group uses structured entities to securitize loan and receivables, corporate bonds, and other financial assets that it has originated or acquired in order to diversify its source of funding for asset origination and capital efficiency purposes. In turn, the structured entities issue asset backed securities collateralized by the transferred financial assets. In these securitizations, various classes of debt securities are issued to the Group and third parties, and the structured entities have mainly issued subordinated notes to the Group, an assets transferor. The subordinated notes are designed to absorb potentially could be significant to the structured entities. These structured entities are generally consolidated when the Group has the power to direct the relevant activities of the entities and exposed to or have rights to variable returns from the entities. In addition, the Group involves with structured entities which are established by third parties mainly for securitization through provision of liquidity facilities including financial guarantees, which are designed to provide credit support to the entities, or investing in securities issued by structured entities or providing financing to structured entities through loans.

The Group has established a number of money market and non-money market funds where it is deemed to be acting as principal rather than agent its role as investment manager, the Group controls and hence consolidate these funds. Also the Group is deemed to control a number of third-party managed funds through its involvement as a principal in the funds.

The Group has consolidated its guaranteed money trusts due to its provision of financial guarantee for investors over principal and interest or principal only. Thus, the Group may be obliged to supplement when the principal or interest of the money trusts is short of the guaranteed amount.

Unconsolidated structured entities

The Group has entered into various agreements with structured entities such as asset securitization vehicles, and structured finance and investment funds. Where it is determined in accordance with IFRS 10 that the Group has no controlling power over such structured entities, the entities are not consolidated. The nature of interests, which the Group retains, and the risks, to which the Group is exposed, of the unconsolidated structured entities are as follows:

Asset securitization vehicle issues asset-backed securities and redeems the principal and interest or distributes dividends on asset-backed securities with profits from collecting cash flows or sale of securitized assets. The Group, as a secondary guarantor, provides purchase commitments for its asset-backed securities or guarantees to such asset securitization vehicle and recognizes commission income or interest income related to the commitment or guarantees. Therefore, the Group would be exposed to risks to purchases or pays back asset-backed securities issued by the vehicles when a primary guarantor fails to provide the financing asset securitization vehicles.

Structured finance includes investments in project financing on real estates, social overhead capital (“SOC”), infrastructure and shipping finance. They are formed as special purpose entity by funding through equity investments and loans from various investors. Investment decisions are made by the Group based on business outlook of such projects. In relation to such investments, the Group recognizes interest income on loans, gains or losses on valuation of equity investments or dividend income. The structured finance is secured by additional funding agreement, guarantee or credit facilities. However, the structured financing project would fail to return the capital of equity investments or principal of loans to the Group if it is discontinued or did not achieve business outcome.

Investment funds include trusts and private equity funds. A trust is formed by contributions from various investors, operated by a manager engaged to the trust and distributed proceeds from sales of investments to the investors. A private equity fund is established in order to acquire ownership interests in a portfolio company with exit strategy after implementing financial and operational restructuring of the company. The Group recognizes unrealized gains or losses on change in value of investments in proposition of ownership interests in investments. The Group would be exposed to risks of loss when the value of portfolio investment is decreased.

Total assets of the unconsolidated structured entities, the carrying value of the related items recorded, the maximum exposure to risks, and the loss recognized in conjunction with the unconsolidated structured entities as of December 31, 2016 and 2017 are as follows (Unit: Korean Won in millions):

Some subsidiaries are regulated by the rules of the jurisdictions, in which they were incorporated, with regard to funding or management of deposits. Also, there is the limitation that they must have pre-approval from their regulators in case of remittance of earnings to the Group.

1) Accumulated non-controlling interests at the end of the period

2) Net income attributable to non-controlling interests

3) Dividends to non-controlling interests