Bank of Hope
A U.S. commercial bank headquartered in Los Angeles with deep roots in the Korean American community and a broader multi-state branch network.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Bank of Hope is an American commercial bank headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Its business developed from institutions created to serve Korean American communities and businesses, although its banking activities extend beyond that community to a broader range of retail, commercial, and small-business customers in the United States. The bank traces its origins to Wilshire Bank, established on December 30, 1980. The Wilshire name reflected the institution's Los Angeles base and its close relationship with the Korean American commercial corridor centered around Koreatown and the wider Southern California market. The modern Bank of Hope emerged from a period of consolidation among Korean American banks. Nara Bank, founded in 1989, and Center Financial Corporation, founded in 1986, combined in 2011. Following that transaction, Nara Bancorp changed its name to BBCN Bancorp, while Center Bank became BBCN Bank. The BBCN name was derived from the identities of Business Bank of Center and Nara. BBCN subsequently expanded through acquisitions, including Pacific International Bancorp in February 2013. That transaction added Pacific International Bank's four branches in the Seattle metropolitan area. In August of the same year, BBCN acquired Foster Bankshares, Inc., strengthening its presence in Chicago and making it the largest Korean American bank in that market at the time. A decisive transformation occurred in July 2016, when BBCN Bank and Wilshire Bank merged. The combined banking organization adopted the Bank of Hope brand, while Hope Bancorp, Inc. became the holding company. The rebranding gave the combined institution a single national identity and linked the former BBCN and Wilshire franchises under a name intended to convey continuity, opportunity, and community support. The bank continued to emphasize Korean American customers while operating as a full-service commercial bank rather than as a narrowly defined ethnic financial institution. Bank of Hope's activities include personal deposit products, business and commercial banking, lending, and branch-based financial services. Its customer base includes individuals, entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized businesses, and commercial borrowers. The institution has historically had substantial exposure to commercial real estate lending, particularly in relation to its size. In 2017, it expanded its physical footprint in Texas by opening a Houston branch. The bank also came close to acquiring Seattle-based U & I Financial Corp. in 2017, but that proposed transaction was abandoned before completion. The COVID-19 pandemic created a significant credit-management challenge. In late 2020, reporting indicated that more than $3 billion of the bank's loans had payment deferrals or modifications associated with the pandemic. That amount was reported as equivalent to approximately 170 percent of the bank's Tier 1 capital. The same reporting highlighted the institution's high concentration in commercial real estate, which was described as more than half of total assets and among the highest ratios for banks in its size category. These figures underscored both the importance of commercial lending to the franchise and its sensitivity to economic disruptions affecting property owners and businesses. On April 2, 2025, Bank of Hope merged with Territorial Bancorp, the parent of Territorial Savings Bank in Hawaii. Territorial operated 29 branches in the state. After the merger, those operations were rebranded as Territorial Savings, a division of Bank of Hope. The transaction extended Bank of Hope's geographic reach into Hawaii and added a locally recognized savings-bank operation to its existing mainland network. Bank of Hope therefore represents the consolidation of several Korean American banking institutions into a larger U.S. commercial bank with a multi-state presence, while retaining a distinctive historical connection to Korean American communities.
History
Bank of Hope's institutional history is rooted in the development of Korean American banking in the United States. The earliest direct predecessor identified with the modern bank was Wilshire Bank, established on December 30, 1980. Based in Los Angeles, Wilshire Bank operated in a market where Korean American entrepreneurs and households often sought financial institutions familiar with their language, business practices, and community networks. This community orientation became a lasting part of the Bank of Hope identity. A second major strand of the institution's history came from Nara Bank and Center Financial Corporation. Nara Bank was established in 1989, while Center Financial Corporation was established in 1986. Their 2011 combination brought the two organizations together. Nara Bancorp, Inc. changed its name to BBCN Bancorp, Inc., and Center Bank was renamed BBCN Bank. The BBCN identity combined references to Business Bank of Center and Nara and represented the first stage of a broader consolidation strategy. BBCN expanded beyond its original base through acquisitions. On February 15, 2013, it acquired Pacific International Bancorp, the holding company of Pacific International Bank, a Washington state-chartered institution with four branches in the Seattle metropolitan area. In August 2013, BBCN acquired Foster Bankshares, Inc. That transaction strengthened its Chicago presence and resulted in BBCN becoming the largest Korean American bank in the Chicago market at that time. The defining event came in July 2016, when BBCN Bank merged with Wilshire Bank. The combined institution was rebranded as Bank of Hope, and Hope Bancorp, Inc. served as the bank holding company. The new name unified two important Korean American banking franchises and provided a common platform for operations in several U.S. metropolitan markets. Bank of Hope continued to present itself as a community-focused commercial bank while offering services to a broader customer base. The bank continued its geographic development after the rebrand. In 2017, it opened a Houston branch. It also pursued the acquisition of U & I Financial Corp., a Seattle-based financial institution, but the transaction was called off at the last minute. The failed acquisition demonstrated that consolidation remained part of the bank's strategic environment even when individual transactions did not close. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the bank's lending profile received attention. Late-2020 reporting stated that loans with payment deferrals or modifications exceeded $3 billion, an amount described as 170 percent of Tier 1 capital. More than 50 percent of assets were reported to consist of commercial real estate loans, placing the institution among the most commercially real-estate-concentrated banks in its size class. The episode highlighted the relationship between Bank of Hope's commercial-banking orientation and its exposure to economic stress. On April 2, 2025, Bank of Hope merged with Territorial Bancorp, whose Territorial Savings Bank operated 29 branches in Hawaii. Those branches were rebranded as Territorial Savings, a division of Bank of Hope. The merger extended the institution's reach into Hawaii and added a locally established savings operation to its mainland franchise. Through this sequence of formation, consolidation, acquisition, rebranding, and regional expansion, Bank of Hope developed from a Los Angeles community bank into a multi-state U.S. commercial banking organization with a distinctive Korean American heritage.
- 2025
Territorial Bancorp merger expands Hawaii presence
[1]Bank of Hope merged with Territorial Bancorp on April 2. The former Territorial Savings Bank branches became Territorial Savings, a division of Bank of Hope.
- 2017
Houston branch opens
[1]Bank of Hope opened a branch in Houston, extending its operating footprint in Texas.
- 2016
Bank of Hope brand is launched
[1]BBCN Bank and Wilshire Bank merged and adopted the Bank of Hope name, with Hope Bancorp, Inc. as the holding company.
- 2013
Pacific International Bancorp is acquired
[1]BBCN acquired Pacific International Bancorp, adding Pacific International Bank's four Seattle-area branches.
- 2013
Foster Bankshares is acquired
[1]BBCN acquired Foster Bankshares, strengthening its Chicago presence and its position among Korean American banks there.
- 2011
Nara and Center Financial combine
[1]Nara Bank and Center Financial Corporation merged; Nara Bancorp became BBCN Bancorp and Center Bank became BBCN Bank.
- 1989
Nara Bank is established
[1]Nara Bank, another major predecessor in the institution's consolidation history, was established.
- 1986
Center Financial Corporation is established
[1]Center Financial Corporation, later associated with the BBCN consolidation, was established.
- 1980
Wilshire Bank is established
[1]Wilshire Bank, the principal predecessor identified in Bank of Hope's history, was established on December 30 in Los Angeles.
Products and positioning
A community-oriented U.S. commercial bank with a strong Korean American heritage, serving consumers, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and commercial borrowers through a growing multi-state network.
Consumer banking
Personal banking
Bank of Hope provides personal banking services for individual customers, including deposit-oriented relationships and branch-based account servicing. The bank's community-bank heritage places emphasis on serving households connected to its local markets, while its broader commercial-bank structure supports a wider consumer base.
Commercial banking
Business banking
Business banking is a central part of the Bank of Hope franchise. Services are directed toward entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized companies, and established commercial customers. The offering reflects the bank's historic role in Korean American business communities and its expansion into a multi-state commercial banking network.
Commercial lending
Commercial real estate lending
Commercial real estate lending has been a significant component of Bank of Hope's balance-sheet and business profile. The bank has financed commercial property borrowers as part of its broader commercial-banking activities. Its high concentration in this category has also made commercial real estate an important consideration in assessing the institution's credit and economic exposure.
Savings banking · 2025
Territorial Savings
Territorial Savings is the post-merger identity used for the former Territorial Savings Bank operations in Hawaii. Following the April 2025 merger with Territorial Bancorp, the 29-branch Hawaii operation became a division of Bank of Hope while retaining the Territorial Savings name.
Brand decisions
2025
Merge with Territorial BancorpM&ABackground
Territorial Bancorp operated Territorial Savings Bank, a Hawaii institution with 29 branches.
Action taken
Bank of Hope merged with Territorial Bancorp on April 2, 2025, and rebranded the Hawaii operations as Territorial Savings, a division of Bank of Hope.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded Bank of Hope's geographic footprint into Hawaii and preserved the Territorial Savings operating identity.
2017
Abandon proposed U & I Financial acquisitionM&ABackground
Bank of Hope was pursuing expansion through a proposed transaction involving Seattle-based U & I Financial Corp.
Action taken
The proposed acquisition was called off shortly before completion.
Aftermath
U & I Financial was not acquired by Bank of Hope, while the bank continued its broader regional operations.
2016
Merge BBCN Bank and Wilshire BankM&ABackground
The merger brought together two major Korean American banking franchises with complementary histories and geographic reach.
Action taken
BBCN Bank and Wilshire Bank merged and were rebranded as Bank of Hope under Hope Bancorp, Inc.
Aftermath
The combined organization adopted a single national-facing brand while retaining its community-banking orientation.
2013
Acquire Pacific International BancorpM&ABackground
BBCN sought to expand its presence in the Pacific Northwest.
Action taken
BBCN acquired Pacific International Bancorp, the holding company for Pacific International Bank.
Aftermath
The transaction added four branches in the Seattle metropolitan area.
2013
Acquire Foster BanksharesM&ABackground
BBCN pursued additional geographic scale in the Midwest.
Action taken
BBCN acquired Foster Bankshares, Inc.
Aftermath
BBCN became the largest Korean American bank in Chicago according to the cited reference.
2011
Combine Nara Bank and Center FinancialM&ABackground
Nara Bank and Center Financial Corporation were separate institutions with roots in Korean American banking.
Action taken
The institutions combined, after which Nara Bancorp became BBCN Bancorp and Center Bank became BBCN Bank.
Aftermath
The transaction created the BBCN platform that later expanded through acquisitions and ultimately became part of Bank of Hope.
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