KakaoBank said on August 17 it will retire 270,000 treasury shares, equal to about 51% of the 532,334 treasury shares it held at the end of June, in a move it said is aimed at enhancing shareholder value. The remaining 262,334 shares will be kept for employee and executive compensation, and the company said the amount to be retired or disposed of could change as procedures continue. The announcement drew added scrutiny because it came as the internet-only lender posted a second-quarter net interest margin of 2.13%, above the levels reported by South Korea's major commercial banks, and as labor tensions escalated over pay. Chief Executive Officer Yun Ho-young received 7.29 billion won in stock option exercise gains in the first half, alongside 349 million won in salary and 536 million won in bonuses, while average employee pay reached 63 million won in the first half and 125 million won for full-year 2024. KakaoBank's union staged full-day strikes on July 31 and August 14 and is considering further action that could affect operations.