KB Financial Group is the holding company of KB Kookmin Bank, South Korea’s largest financial group. Its visual identity centers on the “Star-b” symbol, a star-shaped mark that the group describes as an expression of its forward-looking thinking and desire to become a world-class financial institution.[1]
Design and History
The Star-b symbol was introduced in 2002 when Kookmin Bank and Housing Bank merged, creating a new corporate identity system for the combined institution. The project, developed by the Korean design firm Designfocus, established “KB” as the communication name while retaining “Kookmin Bank” as the official bank name, a new naming structure for the domestic financial sector at the time.[2]
In April 2011, KB Financial Group announced a CI improvement that moved the symbol to the front of the group’s affiliate names, placing “KB” before each subsidiary’s name. The group also adopted the slogan “We think of the people first” (국민을 먼저 생각합니다) as part of the same initiative. To control costs, the group planned to replace signage and advertising materials gradually rather than all at once.[3]
The KB Financial Group signature combines the Star-b symbol with a logotype set in the group’s proprietary typeface. The group states that the symbol and logotype are combined by their special characteristics and should not be arbitrarily altered.[1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Star-b symbol carries the meaning of a star, representing the group’s future-oriented vision and its ambition to rise as a world-class financial institution.[4] The Korean-language CI page describes the symbol as containing the meaning of a star, expressing the group’s forward-looking appearance and high will to leap toward world-class status.[4]
The official color system for KB Kookmin Bank and its affiliates includes two primary yellows: KB Yellow Positive (Pantone 130 C) and KB Yellow Negative (Pantone 1235 C), alongside KB Gray (Pantone 404 C). Sub-colors include KB Dark Gray, KB Gold, and KB Silver.[5]
Typography and Design
KB Financial Group uses a proprietary typeface called KB Financial Font, developed to create a consistent brand image across the group’s visual communications. The font family is divided into KB Financial Display Font and KB Financial Text Font. The Display Font expresses KB’s image through straight lines conveying trustworthiness and curved lines conveying friendliness, with clear finishing strokes and large graphemes for easy recognition. The Text Font is designed in a square-frame style for body text, enhancing figurative stability and readability.[6]
Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
