HOPE 8-K
Hope Bancorp Inc (HOPE)
8-K
2026-08-25
For: 2026-08-24
View Original
Added on
August 25, 2026
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)
| (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) | ||
| (State of incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | ||||||||||||
(Address of principal executives offices, including zip code)
(213 ) 639-1700
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| , | par value $0.001 per share | |||||||||||||
| (Title of class) | (Trading Symbol) | (Name of exchange on which registered) | ||||||||||||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On August 24, 2026, Hope Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) and Bank of Hope (the “Bank”) entered into an Extension of Employment Agreement (the “Extension”) with Mr. Kevin S. Kim, which extends the term of that certain Fourth Amended and Restated Employment Agreement by and among the Company, the Bank and Mr. Kim dated April 22, 2022 (the “Employment Agreement”), pursuant to which Mr. Kim will continue to serve as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank.
The Extension amends Section 7.01 of the Employment Agreement to provide that both (i) the Initial Term of the Employment Agreement (as such term is defined therein) will end (unless sooner terminated pursuant to the Employment Agreement) on August 31, 2031; and (ii) the Term of the Employment Agreement (as such term is defined therein) shall not be extended pursuant to the automatic renewal terms of the Employment Agreement beyond August 31, 2033.
The foregoing description of the Extension does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Extension, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
(d) Exhibits
| Exhibit No. | Description | |||||||
| 10.1 | ||||||||
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) | |||||||
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| HOPE BANCORP, INC. | ||||||||
| Date: August 25, 2026 | By: | /s/ Julianna Balicka | ||||||
| Julianna Balicka | ||||||||
| Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | ||||||||
Exhibit 10.1
EXTENSION OF EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
This EXTENSION OF EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (this “Extension Agreement”) is made and entered into as of August 24, 2026 (the “Extension Agreement Date”), by and between Kevin S. Kim, an individual residing in La Canada, California (“Executive”), on the one hand, and Hope Bancorp, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Parent”) and Bank of Hope, a California state chartered bank (the “Bank”) (with the Parent and the Bank being collectively referred to as the “Company”), on the other hand.
WHEREAS, Executive and the Company are parties to that certain Fourth Amended and Restated Employment Agreement dated April 22, 2022 (the “Employment Agreement”);
WHEREAS, the parties desire to extend the Term of the Employment Agreement with all other terms and conditions unchanged;
NOW, THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:
1. Extension of Term. Section 7.01 of the Employment Agreement is hereby amended by replacing the reference to “March 31, 2027” with “August 31, 2031” and by replacing the reference to “March 31, 2029” with “August 31, 2033.”
2. No Other Changes. Except solely for the extension of the Term stated in Section 1 of this Extension Agreement, all terms and conditions of the Employment Agreement remain unchanged and in full force and effect. This Extension Agreement does not amend, modify, waive, or supersede any other provision of the Employment Agreement.
3. Defined Terms. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Extension Agreement have the meanings assigned to them in the Employment Agreement.
4. Conflict. If there is any conflict between this Extension Agreement and the Employment Agreement, this Extension Agreement controls solely with respect to the duration of the Term. In all other respects, the Employment Agreement controls.
5. Counterparts. This Extension Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which is deemed an original and all of which together constitute one instrument. Signatures delivered electronically or by facsimile shall be effective as originals.
[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]
Exhibit 10.1
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Extension Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
| PARENT: | BANK: | ||||||||||||||||
| Hope Bancorp, Inc. | Bank of Hope | ||||||||||||||||
| By: | /s/ Dale Zuehls | By: | /s/ Dale Zuehls | ||||||||||||||
| Name: Dale S. Zuehls | Name: Dale S. Zuehls | ||||||||||||||||
| Title: Lead Independent Director, | Title: Lead Independent Director, | ||||||||||||||||
| Chairman of Human Resources & | Chairman of Human Resources & | ||||||||||||||||
| Compensation Committee | Compensation Committee | ||||||||||||||||
| By: | /s/ Joon K. Kim | By: | /s/ Joon K. Kim | ||||||||||||||
| Name: Joon K. Kim | Name: Joon K. Kim | ||||||||||||||||
| Title: Deputy Lead Independent Director | Title: Deputy Lead Independent Director | ||||||||||||||||
| EXECUTIVE: | |||||||||||||||||
| /s/ Kevin S. Kim | |||||||||||||||||
| Name: Kevin S. Kim | |||||||||||||||||