Hana Bank eyes Vietnam prospects

Kim Jeong-tae, Hana Bank president, expressed his interest in launching operations in Vietnam and he met with senior Vietnamese financial officials.

Hana Bank has a representative office in Ho Chi Minh City but is seeking to turn it into a bank branch. But he cautioned that approval may not be given this year. Shinhan Bank and Kookmin Bank already have operating branches in Vietnam.

“I want Asia to be our stepping stone to launch into the global market,” Kim said. “Although Vietnam is currently struggling with difficulties, including high inflation, conditions are likely to get better and investments from Korea are expected to increase.”