8-K

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549-1004

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): December 3, 2007

Hanmi Financial Corporation

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

Delaware
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation) 000-30421
(Commission File Number) 95-4788120
(IRS Employer
Identification No.)

3660 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles California
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)  
90010
(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (213) 382-2200

Not applicable
(Former name of former address, if changed since last report)

     Check the appreciate 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 (see General Instruction A.2. below):

o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 5.02(e).  Departure of Directors or Certain Officers, Election of Directors, Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On December 3, 2007, Hanmi Financial Cororation (the “Company”) announced the hiring of Mr. Brian E. Cho as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hanmi Bank (the “Bank”).  Mr. Cho, age 47, will also serve as Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer) of the Company.  Prior to joining the Company and the Bank, Mr. Cho served in various capacities at Wilshire State Bank since 1992, including as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer between March, 1995 and October 2007.  Mr. Cho will begin work with the Company and the Bank on December 3, 2007.

Mr. Cho entered into an at-will employment offer letter (the “Offer Letter”) with Hanmi Bank on November 1, 2007.  Pursuant to the Offer Letter, Mr. Cho will receive an annual starting salary of $270,000, and be eligible to receive up to 50% of his annual salary in incentive cash compensation.  Mr. Cho’s incentive compensation for his first year of employment has been fixed at $100,000.  In addition, Mr. Cho will receive, on December 3, 2007, a stock option grant for 30,000 shares of the Company’s common stock and a restricted stock grant of 5,000 shares of the Company’s common stock.  Mr. Cho will also receive an auto allowance of $700 per month as well as a cell phone allowance of $100 per month and a gas card.  Mr. Cho will be eligible to participate in the Company’s standard employee benefits, including its 401(k) Plan.  The foregoing discussion is qualified in its entirety by Mr. Cho’s Offer Letter, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1 and incorporated herein by reference.  In addition, a copy of the press release announcing Mr. Cho’s appointment is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.

There are no transactions in which Mr. Cho has an interest requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.

Item 9.01.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d)	Exhibits.
10.1	Employment Offer Letter with Brian E. Cho, executed November 1,2007
99.1	Press release of December 3, 2007 announcing appointment of Brian E. Cho

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.

Date: December 3, 2007	Hanmi Financial Corporation
	By:	/s/ SUNG WON SOHN
		Sung Won Sohn
		President and Chief Executive Officer

EX-10.1

Exhibit 10.1

HANMI BANK

Corporate Headquarters

3660 Wilshire Boulevard
Penthouse A
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Tel. :     (213) 382-2200
Tlx. :     188386 HANMI
Fax. :     (213) 384-8608

October 15, 2007

Mr. Brian E. Cho
22566 E. Birdseye Drive
Diamond Bar, CA 91765

Dear Mr. Cho:

     Hanmi Bank is pleased to extend an offer of employment to you as an Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, on a full-time basis. In this position, you will be classified as an exempt employee, and are not eligible for overtime. Your annual starting salary will be $270,000 and you will receive the following incentives/ benefits:

• Up to 50% of Annual Salary Incentive Compensation based on a set of goals

(First year only — Set $100,000 incentive compensation)

• 30,000 Stock Option Grant

• 5,000 Restricted Stock Grant

• Auto allowance $700 per month

• Cell phone allowance $100 per month plus Gas Card

• 401K Plan

• 20 days of paid annual vacation

• Immediate coverage of health insurance

     All benefits are subject to change at the Bank’s sole discretion and also subject to the terms and conditions contained in the Bank’s employee’s handbook. This offer is conditional on you providing an acceptable evidence of your legal right to work and on the Bank’s review and approval of the results of a background and/or credit investigation as well as Board notification.

     We greatly look forward to having you join our Bank and become a member of our team. However, we recognize that you retain the option, as does the Bank, of ending your employment with the Bank at any time, with or without notice and with or without cause. As such, your employment with the Bank is at-will and neither this letter nor any other oral or written representations may be considered a contract for any specific period of time.

     If you plan to accept this offer, please be sure to return a signed copy of this letter to me or Human Resources Department by October 19, 2007. We look forward to your joining our team at Hanmi Bank.

Sincerely,

Sung Won Sohn
President & CEO

I accept the offer from Hanmi Bank.

/s/ Brian E. Cho	11-1-07
Brian E. Cho	Date

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

Hanmi Financial Corporation Names
Brian E. Cho Chief Financial Officer

LOS ANGELES — December 3, 2007 — Hanmi Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: HAFC), the holding company of Hanmi Bank, announced that effective December 3, 2007, Brian E. Cho has been named to the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Prior to joining Hanmi, Mr. Cho spent fifteen years with Los Angeles-based Wilshire Bancorp, Inc., the holding company for Wilshire State Bank, most recently as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Before joining Wilshire in 1992, Mr. Cho, a Certified Public Accountant, was a Senior Auditor with Deloitte & Touche. In January 2007, Mr. Cho was ranked first among the industry’s top-10 chief financial officers by US Banker magazine.

“I am pleased to welcome Brian to Hanmi,” said Sung Won Sohn, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer. “In addition to his twelve-years experience as Chief Financial Officer at one of our worthy competitors, he brings to the bank a wealth of experience in understanding the sensibilities and needs of the multi-ethnic Southern California marketplace. As part of the senior management team, he will be a key participant as we work to ensure that Hanmi maintains its position as the country’s pre-eminent Korean-American bank.”

About Hanmi Financial Corporation:

Headquartered in Los Angeles, Hanmi Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hanmi Financial Corporation, provides services to the multi-ethnic communities of California, with 24 full-service offices in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, San Francisco, Santa Clara and San Diego counties, and nine loan production offices in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Texas, Virginia and Washington. Hanmi Bank specializes in commercial, SBA, trade finance and consumer lending, and is a recognized community leader. Hanmi Bank’s mission is to provide a full range of quality products and premier services to its customers and to maximize shareholder value. Additional information is available at www.hanmifinancial.com.

Contact:
Stephanie Yoon
Investor Relations
213-351-9227

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