Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
KIM KYU S.
  2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
HOPE BANCORP INC [HOPE]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
SEVP, Eastern Region President
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
3200 WILSHIRE BLVD., SUITE 1400
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
03/08/2019
(Street)

LOS ANGELES, CA 90010
4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)
5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)
6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock               16,723 D  

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)
6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)
7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)
8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)
9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)
10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Time-based Restricted Stock Units (1) 03/08/2019   A   4,634     (1)   (1) Common Stock 4,634 $ 0 4,634 D  
Time-based Restricted Stock Units (2)               (2)   (2) Common Stock 5,168   5,168 D  
Performance-based Restricted Stock Units (3)             04/26/2021(3)   (3) Common Stock 2,584 (3)   2,584 (3) D  
Performance-based Restricted Stock Units (4)             04/26/2021(4)   (4) Common Stock 2,584 (4)   2,584 (4) D  
Time-based Restricted Stock Units (5)               (5)   (5) Common Stock 1,667   1,667 D  
Performance-based Restricted Stock Units (6)             07/27/2020(6)   (6) Common Stock 1,250 (6)   1,250 (6) D  
Performance-based Restricted Stock Units (7)             07/27/2020(7)   (7) Common Stock 1,250 (7)   1,250 (7) D  
Incentive Stock Option (right to buy) $ 17.18               (8) 09/01/2026 Common Stock 30,000   30,000 D  
Time-based Restricted Stock Units (9)               (9)   (9) Common Stock 5,400   5,400 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
KIM KYU S.
3200 WILSHIRE BLVD., SUITE 1400
LOS ANGELES, CA 90010
      SEVP, Eastern Region President  

Signatures

 /s/Claire Hur as attorney-in-fact for Kyu S. Kim   03/11/2019
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Total 4,634 Restricted Stock Units (RSU) were granted on March 8, 2019 pursuant to the Hope Bancorp, Inc. 2016 Incentive Compensation Plan ("2016 ICP"). Each RSU represents a contingent right to receive one share of Hope common stock. Installments of 2,317 shares each will vest annually on March 8, 2020 and 2021.
(2) Total 5,168 Restricted Stock Units (RSU) were granted on April 26, 2018 pursuant to the Hope Bancorp, Inc. 2017 Long-Term Incentive Plan ("2017 LTIP") and BBCN Bancorp, Inc. 2016 Incentive Compensation Plan ("2016 ICP"). Each RSU represents a contingent right to receive one share of Hope common stock. Installments of 1,722 shares each will vest annually on April 26, 2019, 2020, and 1,724 shares on April 26, 2021.
(3) 2,584 performance-based restricted stock units ("PRSU") were granted on April 26, 2018 pursuant to the 2017 LTIP and the 2016 ICP and subject to a 3-year cliff vesting. Vesting of these PRSU depends upon Hope's achievement of a specified increase in the cumulative quarterly earnings per share during the 11-quarter period from April 1, 2018 through December 31, 2020. Each PRSU represents a contingent right to receive one share of Hope common stock at Target performance. The "Target" number of shares is reported. Possible payout ranges from 0% of Target if the Threshold goal is not met, 50% to 99% on a prorated basis if the Threshold is met but the Target goal is not met, 100% to 149% on a prorated basis if the Target goal is met but the Stretch goal is not met, and 150% if the Stretch goal is met or exceeded.
(4) 2,584 performance-based restricted stock units ("PRSU") were granted on April 26, 2018 pursuant to the 2017 LTIP and the 2016 ICP and subject to a 3-year cliff vesting. Vesting of these PRSU shares depends upon Hope's achievement of a specified relative ranking of the total stockholder return in relation to the KRX Index over a 11-quarter period from April 1, 2018 through December 31, 2020. Each PRSU represents a contingent right to receive one share of Hope common stock at Target performance. The "Target" number of shares is reported. Possible payout ranges from 0% of Target if the Threshold goal is not met, 50% to 99% on a prorated basis if the Threshold is met but the Target goal is not met, 100% to 149% on a prorated basis if the Target goal is met but the Stretch goal is not met, and 150% if the Stretch goal is met or exceeded.
(5) Total 2,500 Restricted Stock Units (RSU) were granted on July 27, 2017 pursuant to the Hope Bancorp, Inc. 2017 Long-Term Incentive Plan ("2017 LTIP") and BBCN Bancorp, Inc. 2016 Incentive Compensation Plan ("2016 ICP"). Each RSU represents a contingent right to receive one share of Hope common stock. Installments of 833 shares each will vest annually on July 27, 2018, 2019, and 2020.
(6) 1,250 performance-based restricted stock units ("PRSU") were granted on July 27, 2017 pursuant to the 2017 LTIP and the 2016 ICP and subject to a 3-year cliff vesting. Vesting of these PRSU depends upon Hope's achievement of a specified increase in the cumulative quarterly earnings per share during the 10-quarter period from July 1, 2017 through December 31, 2019. Each PRSU represents a contingent right to receive one share of Hope common stock at Target performance. The "Target" number of shares is reported. Possible payout ranges from 0% of Target if the Threshold goal is not met, 50% to 99% on a prorated basis if the Threshold is met but the Target goal is not met, 100% to 149% on a prorated basis if the Target goal is met but the Stretch goal is not met, and 150% if the Stretch goal is met or exceeded.
(7) 1,250 performance-based restricted stock units ("PRSU") were granted on July 27, 2017 pursuant to the 2017 LTIP and the 2016 ICP and subject to a 3-year cliff vesting. Vesting of these PRSU shares depends upon Hope's achievement of a specified relative ranking of the total stockholder return in relation to the KRX Index over a 10-quarter period from July 1, 2017 through December 31, 2019. Each PRSU represents a contingent right to receive one share of Hope common stock at Target performance. The "Target" number of shares is reported. Possible payout ranges from 0% of Target if the Threshold goal is not met, 50% to 99% on a prorated basis if the Threshold is met but the Target goal is not met, 100% to 149% on a prorated basis if the Target goal is met but the Stretch goal is not met, and 150% if the Stretch goal is met or exceeded.
(8) Non-qualified stock options granted on September 1, 2016 pursuant to the 2016 ICP. These options vest annually in five equal installments on September 1st of 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
(9) On September 1, 2016, the reporting person was granted 9,000 Restricted Stock Units (RSU) pursuant to the 2016 Incentive Compensation Plan ("2016 ICP"). RSUs convert into common stock on a one-for-one basis and vest annually in five equal installments beginning on the first anniversary of the grant date.

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