As the number of high-net-worth individuals in South Korea continues to grow, how will local and foreign players capitalise on changing investment preferences and the rise of fintech? Elliot Smither investigates.
Asia-Pacific
Latest articles from South Korea
South Korea's new banking battlegrounds
December 1, 2015South Korea will witness the creation of its first internet bank by the end of 2015. How is this going to disrupt the banking sector, and how are conventional banks dealing with slow growth and quantitative easing? Stefania Palma reports.

Korea’s regional banks power ahead
December 1, 2015How are South Korea’s regional banks dealing with the low-interest-rate, low-growth environment? Stefania Palma looks at two banks that are using their strong links to the country’s real economy to outperform some of their bigger peers.

South Korea's capital markets advance with caution
October 1, 2015South Korea’s booming capital markets and robust legislation show that the Asian crisis of 1997 had some beneficial long-term effects, which even neighbouring China’s recent wobbles cannot derail.
Good, but could be great: wealth management in South Korea
October 1, 2015South Korea has a large and vibrant wealth management sector, but it has yet to reach its full potential. Michael Imeson speaks to industry experts to assess how the country and its domestic financial institutions can bridge the gap between them and their Asia-Pacific peers.

Highs and lows in the South Korean banking sector
November 3, 2014South Korea's banks have enjoyed mixed fortunes in 2014, a year that has seen high-profile scandals rock the country's largest lenders and in which innovative hybrid funding has characterised a spirit of innovation and growth among the country's small and regional players.

Cyber attack: Is your bank safe?
September 1, 2014From financially motivated cyber crime to politically influenced cyber warfare, the virtual threats to financial institutions are multiplying. Companies must respond by arming themselves against such attacks or else they risk losing their footing on the new digital battleground.

South Korea CBG looks to bridge international gaps
October 1, 2013Bank of Korea governor Choongsoo Kim tells Jane Cooper how he aims to bridge the gap at international meetings between emerging and developed economies, and how he plans to globalise South Korea’s central bank.

Capital markets play catch-up to South Korea’s real economy
October 1, 2013With South Korea's underdeveloped capital markets struggling under the growing weight of the country's rapidly expanding conglomerates, the pressure is on for the sector to evolve and mature – with the government, regulators and banks all taking steps to achieve this goal. But will new regulations and improved infrastructure be enough to transform the industry?
South Korea’s big players make investment banking move
October 1, 2013Many of South Korea's largest financial institutions are having to reconsider their investment banking strategies in the wake of changed capital markets regulation, increasing competition and narrowing profits, with many turning to the international market.