8-K

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) April 3, 2009

Hanmi Financial Corporation

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

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

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

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

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

     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 (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))

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EX-17.1

EX-99.1

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

On April 3, 2009, the Board of Directors of Hanmi Financial Corporation (“HFC”) nominated Mr. William J. Stolte to the HFC and Hanmi Bank Boards. His appointment is subject to receipt of a notice of non disapproval from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and the California Department of Financial Institutions. Subject to receipt of the proper regulatory notices, Mr. Stolte will be appointed as a Class III director. Mr. Stolte, most recently served as Senior Executive Vice President of Union Bank of California in San Francisco. He was appointed as an Assistant National Bank Examiner in 1968 and eventually served as Deputy Comptroller of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and became a partner of The Secura Group, and served as a Director for Deloitte & Touche. The Board has not yet determined what committees Mr. Stolte will be appointed to. At such time as the committee assignments have been determined, HFC will file an amendment to this Form 8-K.

There are no arrangements or understandings between Mr. Stolte and any other person pursuant to which Mr. Stolte was appointed as director. There are no transactions in which Mr. Stolte has an interest requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.

On April 3, 2009, Richard B. C. Lee tendered his resignation from the Board of Directors of Hanmi Financial Corporation, effective the same day. Mr. Lee tendered his resignation as a result of differences of opinion on corporate governance within the Board of Directors. Mr. Lee did not serve on any of the Committees for the Hanmi Financial Corporation. A copy of Mr. Lee’s resignation letter is attached hereto as Exhibit 17.1.

A copy of the press release announcing Mr. Stolte’s appointment is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

Item 5.03. Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year

The information set forth in Item 8.01 herein is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 8.01 Other Information

On April 6, 2009, HFC filed a preliminary proxy statement relating to its 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be held on May 27, 2009 (the “2009 Annual Meeting”). At the 2009 Annual Meeting, HFC is asking its stockholders to effect amendments to its Certificate of incorporation to declassify the Board of Directors and provide for the annual election of all directors commencing with the 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. If approved by HFC’s stockholders holding at least 66 2/3% of HFC’s outstanding common stock, the amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation will be effective upon filing of such amendments with the Delaware Secretary of State. In addition, if the amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation are approved by HFC’s stockholders, HFC’s Bylaws will be concurrently amended to provide for the annual election of all directors and each of the HFC’s directors will agree to forego the remainder of their classified term and stand for election at the 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. If the amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation are not approved by HFC’s stockholders, each of HFC’s directors will stand for election until the term of the class to which the director has been chosen otherwise expires (unless their term ends earlier as a result of death, resignation or removal) and no amendments to the Bylaws relating to the classified board will be effected.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

17.1	Letter of Resignation from Mr. Lee dated April 3, 2009
99.1	Press Release dated April 6, 2009, issued by Hanmi Financial Corporation

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Form 8-K report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Date: April 6, 2009	Hanmi Financial Corporation
	By:	/s/ Jay S. Yoo
		Jay S. Yoo
		President and Chief Executive Officer

EX-17.1

Exhibit 17.1

April 3, 2009

Joseph K. Rho
Chairman of the Board
Hanmi Financial Corporation
3660 Wilshire Blvd., Ph-A
Los Angeles, CA 90010

          RE: RESIGNATION LETTER

Dear Mr. Rho:

I hereby tender my resignation as a member of the Board of Directors of Hanmi Financial Corporation. This resignation is to be effective on April 3, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.

Although I would have liked to stay on with the company to see it through these challenging times, I believe I can no longer effectively represent the interest of the shareholders due to differences of opinion on corporate governance within the Board.

I wish Hanmi Financial Corporation and Hanmi Bank all the best in their future endeavors.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Richard B. C. Lee

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

Hanmi Financial Corp. Nominates New Director

LOS ANGELES – April 6, 2009 – Hanmi Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: HAFC), the holding company of Hanmi Bank, announced that William J. Stolte has been nominated to the Company’s Board of Directors and to the Board of Directors of Hanmi Bank. Mr. Stolte’s appointment is subject to regulatory approval.

Mr. Stolte, 62, began his career in 1968 with the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), first in New York, then in Washington, D.C., and subsequently (from 1988 to 1992) in San Francisco, where, as Deputy Comptroller of the Western District, he was responsible for the regulatory supervision of approximately 450 national banks. Following his tenure at the OCC, Mr. Stolte served as a partner of Secura Group (since acquired by LECG), and as a director in the San Francisco office of Deloitte & Touche, LLP.

More recently, and until his retirement last December, Mr. Stolte was for eight years a Senior Executive Vice President with Union Bank of California in San Francisco, where he headed an independent group responsible for evaluating the risk management processes used to identify, monitor and control risks in the bank’s various business lines and support units. Mr. Stolte has a B.A. in economics from Saint Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa.

“I look forward to welcoming Mr. Stolte to the Bank,” said Jay S. Yoo, President and Chief Executive Officer. “With more than four decades in the financial services industry, he will be an excellent addition to Hanmi’s Board of Directors. In addition to his deep understanding of the OCC, he has extensive experience in regulatory risk management, notably as it pertains to credit and compliance issues.”

Mr. Yoo further noted that Richard B.C. Lee has resigned from Hanmi Financial Corporation’s Board of Directors. “We thank Mr. Lee for his many years of service to Hanmi and its shareholders,” said Mr. Yoo.

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 27 full-service offices in Los Angeles, Orange, San Francisco, Santa Clara and San Diego counties, and six loan production offices in Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Texas, Virginia and Washington. Hanmi Bank specializes in commercial, SBA and trade finance 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
213-427-5631

#      #      #