Hanmi Says Exploring Options

Hanmi Financial Corporation

("Hanmi"), the holding company for Hanmi Bank, today announced that it has retained DelMorgan & Co. as its financial advisor, and that Hanmi has been engaged and intends to continue to engage in substantive discussions with certain strategic banks and bank holding companies regarding a possible business combination, merger-of-equals or sale transaction. No definitive terms or agreement have been reached at this time and there can be no assurance that any definitive terms will be agreed to or that any definitive agreement will be entered into.