The state-run Korea Development Bank said on Thursday it had set up a new digital system for its company magazine for the first time in the local financial industry.

The bank said the system would enable users to more conveniently access its content on various digital devices such as computers, smartphones and tablets in a unified form. The bank added that it was an upgraded version of conventional systems that only allow access to content on the website.

Using EPUB 3.0, or electronics publication, which is an e-book standard established by the International Digital Publishing Forum, users can experience multimedia functions such as video or audio without installing separate programs, the company said. 

“We set up the digital magazine system in a bid to adapt to a fast-changing publishing environment. This will be an innovative tool to promote a reunited KDB and Korea Finance Corp.,” said Park Yoon-seok, a KDB spokesperson.

Users can download the company’s digital magazines via the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store, the bank said.

The company also started to publish research papers and trend data via its mobile application in November in a bid to provide users with easier access to its research content.

This series of moves to go digital were spearheaded by the bank’s tech-friendly chairman Hong Ky-ttack, industry watchers said.

Considered an early adopter in the financial industry, Hong is known to enjoy wearing smart devices and doing jobs via digital devices or social network services instead of sticking to conventional approaches, the KDB spokesman said.

“To become a leading financial group, the company must push ahead with rearranging its corporate culture. For starters, the bank should take full advantage of new information communications technology,” the chairman told employees in April when the company marked its 60th anniversary.

By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)