Shinhan Bank Opens Foreigner Lounge

Jeong Sang-hyeok, president of Shinhan Bank (fourth from left), Kim Dong-hoon, director of the Seoul Foreign Residents Center (fourth from right), and other officials pose for a commemorative photo at the "Shinhan SOL Global Lounge Daelim-dong Opening Ceremony" held at the Daelim-dong branch in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on Oct. 14. (Provided by Shinhan Bank) Shinhan Bank held the opening ceremony for the "Shinhan SOL Global Lounge Daelim-dong" on Oct. 14 on the second floor of its Daelim-dong branch in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, marking the start of full operations. The lounge, which first opened its doors on Oct. 12, is Shinhan Bank's first foreigner-specialized lounge. Going beyond a conventional bank branch, it was designed as a communication space connected to the existing business area where foreign customers can feel at ease. Shinhan Bank plans to use the multipurpose space to regularly conduct financial education sessions aimed at helping foreign customers settle stably in Korea. The lounge's operating hours were set in a notably unconventional manner, reflecting the characteristics of the area. The decision took into account that many customers in Daelim-dong — a neighborhood densely populated with ethnic Korean-Chinese and other foreign residents — find it difficult to visit a bank on weekdays. Accordingly, the lounge is open on Sundays as well, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Through this lounge, Shinhan Bank is focusing on improving financial literacy among foreign customers. It provides financial information essential to life in Korea. Jeong Sang-hyeok, president of Shinhan Bank, said at the opening ceremony, "We established this lounge to create a space where foreign customers can comfortably receive financial consultations and communicate with one another," adding, "Starting with Daelim-dong, we will expand dedicated lounges to major residential areas for foreign nationals and continue to provide the financial services they need."