November 22, 2024

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Hana Bank's new dealing room, Hana Infinity Seoul, at the bank's headquarters in Jung-gu, central Seoul (Hana Bank)

Hana Bank, South Korea's major commercial bank, opened a new dealing room -- the latest of its kind here -- in Seoul on Wednesday.

Named "Hana Infinity Seoul" to signify the bank's ambition to expand its global reach, the new dealing room occupies the fourth and fifth floors of the lender's headquarters in Jung-gu, central Seoul. Spanning 2,096 square meters and with seating for 126, it is the country's largest such space, the bank states.

The opening ceremony was attended by Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo, alongside distinguished guests including Financial Services Commission Chair Kim Joo-hyun, Financial Supervisory Service Governor Lee Bok-hyun, HD Hyundai Chair Kwon Oh-gap and other industry officials.

Emphasizing cutting-edge infrastructure, the bank highlighted features such as a remote control system for all computers, ensuring a seamless and stable environment conducive to round-the-clock trading.

During the ceremony, Hana Bank introduced the commencement of a new phase named "New Hana Dealing Room 2.0," aimed at boosting Korea's capital market by establishing a 24-hour global foreign exchange platform to attract more foreign investment into the domestic market.

As part of this endeavor, the bank plans to establish a treasury center with approximately 10 professionals at its London subsidiary in the latter half of the year, and further expand it into a global hub connecting key locations worldwide, such as Seoul, Singapore and New York, to facilitate engagement with overseas investors and explore new opportunities.

"The new dealing room embodies more than the mere establishment of a 24-hour trading space free from physical limitations and signifies a pivotal moment for Hana Bank, as it advances its core competency in foreign exchange competitiveness," said Ham.

He added, "We will continue to strive to enhance services for foreign investors in the local market and contribute to the development of the Korean capital market and financial industry."

By Choi Ji-won (jwc@heraldcorp.com)
The Korea Herald