Center Bank Enters Texas with Two New Loan Production Offices in Houston and Dallas.

LOS ANGELES & HOUSTON & DALLAS -- Center Bank, a community bank focused on the Korean-American consumer and commercial market and a wholly owned subsidiary of Center Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:CLFC), today announced its geographic expansion into Texas with the opening of two new Loan Production Offices (LPOs), one in Houston and one in Dallas.

Jin B. Hur, will head the Houston LPO, located at 915 W. Pasadena Freeway, Suite 100, Pasadena, Texas 77506, telephone number 713-417-1072. Thomas Hwang will lead the Dallas LPO, located at 2915 L.B.J. Freeway, Suite 138, Dallas, Texas 75234, telephone number 972-488-3535.

"We believe the opportunity to enter Texas is an excellent one as the Korean population in the state has grown by 43% according to the 2000 Census," said (Paul) Seon-Hong Kim, president and chief executive officer of Center Financial. "And both Houston and Dallas exemplify our targeted markets where we find a growing Korean population and concentrated areas with Korean-owned businesses.

"Jin B. Hur and Thomas Hwang will be two outstanding assets for the Center Bank team," Kim said. "Hur's active involvement with the Houston Korean community, combined with his banking background, and Hwang's extensive history providing customer service as a public accountant and mortgage lender will form a solid foundation from which to grow the Center Bank franchise in this market. We greatly look forward to their contributions and leadership during this initial expansion into Texas."

Hur is deeply involved in the Houston Korean community, currently serving as President of the Korean Community Center of Houston and a director of the Houston Korean School. He is also past president of the Houston Korean Lions Club, and the Korean American Voters League, as well as a former director of the Korean American Association of Houston. Hur currently owns and operates a hospitality business. He has a proven track record as a vice president for United Central Bank in Houston, where he focused on loan production, community relations and personal banking. Hur's background also includes an engineering career, previously having been employed with Eagleton Engineering Co. and Gulf Interstate Engineering, both in Houston, as well as Daelim Engineering and Hyundai Heavy Industry in Seoul, Korea. He earned his bachelor's in engineering from Seoul National University in Korea.

Hwang is a certified public accountant and a licensed mortgage broker, with nearly two decades of experience in the accounting, real estate and insurance sectors. He is the founder of Thomas Hwang & Associates, a public accounting firm and also serves as president of First Capital Mortgage Inc., where he specialized in residential and commercial loan services. Previously, Hwang served as controller for Metro Hotels Inc. He received his bachelor's in business administration from the University of Texas at Dallas, and a master of business administration from the University of Dallas.

About Center Financial Corporation

Center Financial Corporation is the financial holding company of Center Bank, a community bank offering a full-range of financial services for multi-ethnic and small business customers. Founded in 1986 and specializing in commercial and SBA loans and trade finance products, Center Bank has grown to be one of the nation's largest financial institutions focusing on the Korean-American community, with total assets of $1.2 billion at June 30, 2004. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Center Bank operates 23 branch and loan production offices across the nation, of which 14 full-service branches are located throughout Southern California and in Chicago, plus nine loan production offices in Phoenix, Seattle, Denver, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, Atlanta, Honolulu, Houston and Dallas. Center Bank is a California state-chartered and FDIC-insured financial institution. For additional information on Center Bank, visit the company's Web site at www.centerbank.com.

Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended, and are based on management's current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on Center Financial. Readers are cautioned not to unduly rely on forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ from those in such forward looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, the successful operation of the company's Houston and Dallas LPOs, the company's ability to continue its geographic expansion strategy, the company's ability to grow its deposits, customers' acceptance of the company's pricing policies, changes in interest rates, loan portfolio performance, the ability to continue to pay dividends, and other factors, detailed in Center Financial's SEC filings made from time to time.