Exhibit 99.1
Hanmi Financial Corp. Nominates New Director
LOS ANGELES December 15, 2008 Hanmi Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: HAFC), the holding company
of Hanmi Bank, announced that John A. (Jack) Hall has been nominated to the Companys Board of
Directors and to the Board of Directors of Hanmi Bank. Mr. Halls appointment is subject to
regulatory approval.
Until his retirement in 2005, Mr. Hall, 59, spent more than three decades with the Office of the
Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), a division of the U.S. Treasury Department. He received his
commission as a National Bank Examiner in 1979 and eventually served as Examiner-in-Charge of many
of the nations premier banks, including Union Bank of California, First Interstate Bancorp, Fleet
Boston, and Treasury Bank in Los Angeles, Countrywides national bank subsidiary. Mr. Hall, who has
a B.A. from the University of Iowa, also served as the lead examiner for credit for Wells Fargo
Bank.
I look forward to welcoming Mr. Hall to the Board, said Jay S. Yoo, President and Chief Executive
Officer. He will bring a deep and well-rounded knowledge of risk-management issues, particularly
on matters concerning internal audits, compliance, and credit management. Moreover, his
longstanding familiarity with the financial services industry, including the requirements and
expectations of the OCC, will be especially valuable as Hanmi addresses the challenges of the
current recessionary environment.
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 26 full-service offices in
Los Angeles, Orange, San Francisco, Santa Clara and San Diego counties, and six loan production
offices in Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Texas, Virginia and Washington. Hanmi Bank specializes in
commercial, SBA and trade finance lending, and is a recognized community leader. Hanmi Banks
mission is to provide a full range of quality products and premier services to its customers and to
maximize shareholder value. Additional information is available at www.hanmifinancial.com.
Contact:
Stephanie Yoon
Investor Relations
213-427-5631
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