[Interview] “Quick Access to Desired Features Is Essential”... Kiwoom Securities Overhauls Hero S#

Lee Joonguk, Head of Platform Division at Kiwoom Securities
"Balance Displayed on Home Screen in Response to Customer Requests"
Preparing to Introduce AI-based "Personal PB"

"For a Mobile Trading System (MTS), the priority is not simply to add more features. What matters most is how much we can reduce the time it takes for customers to check their assets and how quickly they can find the desired menu options."

Lee Joonguk, Head of Platform Division at Kiwoom Securities, stated this in a recent interview with The Asia Business Daily. Kiwoom Securities' MTS, "Hero S#", recently underwent a major overhaul of its home screen. During the process, Lee emphasized that "the content customers want" and "the speed at which they can find it" are most important.

For example, with this update, users can now check their balance as soon as they launch the app. Lee explained, "We made it possible for customers to view the evaluation profit and loss for each account and their holdings directly from the home screen, without having to go to a separate balance page," adding, "This was the feature most frequently requested by our customers." In addition, the home screen is now categorized into communities, products, and benefits, making it easy for customers to access information according to their needs.

Displaying balances on the home screen is not a simple task. In fact, Lee noted that, technically, the balance functionality was the most challenging and carefully handled aspect of this update. He said, "Given the large number of customers and the nature of the stock market, which generates massive traffic at once, there can be delays in displaying the balance screen," and added, "We put a lot of thought into minimizing inconvenience for customers and doing our best to display balances accurately without any errors."

Now, one month after the July 30 update, performance improvements have been reflected in customer behavior patterns. Compared to the previous month, the average number of home page visits per month rose from 8.2 to 10.1—an increase of about 20%. The number of unique visitors (UV) for real-time domestic stock queries jumped 30%, and those related to financial products increased by 15%. Lee remarked, "Customers are using the home screen not just as a passage, but as a space to check information and choose other services." However, he also said, "That said, the increase in usage does not necessarily equate to greater customer satisfaction. We are verifying with data whether the time to reach the desired function has shortened and whether customers are repeatedly using these features."

In line with Lee's philosophy of identifying "what customers want most," a revamp of both the "all menu" and "My Assets" sections within the MTS is planned by the end of this year. The goal is to make the all menu function as a milestone within the feature-rich MTS. Lee explained, "Even if there are many functions, it's difficult for customers to find what they need. That's why we're reorganizing and renaming categories, improving the search method, and restructuring the overall user interface (UI)," adding, "We're envisioning an app that's easy to use without any need to study how it works."

In the My Assets screen, customers will be able to see all their relevant information at a glance. Lee pointed out, "It's not just about assets; 'My' should include everything conceivable that's related to the customer," and added, "This should cover balances, account statuses, margin calls, credit collateral shortages, and even new reports on the stocks held by the customer—all within the 'My' space."

As part of this process, artificial intelligence (AI) tools will also be deployed to enhance customer MTS usage. "AI PB" serves as a personal private banker, making it easy for customers to find menu items or investment information through conversational interaction and to understand matters relevant to their own investment situation. "AI Connect" provides structured explanations of the connections between industries and individual stocks based on variables such as exchange rates or oil prices. The service will be rolled out for ETF stocks within this year, with plans to expand to all individual stocks early next year.

Lastly, Lee expressed his ambition to grow Hero S# into a "10-million-user app." According to Mobile Index, the current number of users stands at about 3.3 million, making it one of the leaders among all securities firms. Lee said, "I want this to be an app that 10 million people can use," and added, "Starting with a simple mode, it will gradually evolve into a platform that can handle everything up to retirement pensions over the long term."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.