Replies to This Discussion | 이 토론에 대한 답글들

Permalink Reply by Steven S. Bammel on June 2, 2010 at 8:12pm

Gee, aren't the top Korean banks all about the same? I'd be interested to know if anybody else has strong feelings for or against a particular one.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Simon Hoggett on June 8, 2010 at 10:44am

I think it depends on the region you live. Alot of the banks are regionalized. In Daegu, KEB (Korea Exchange Bank) offers the best online banking and in branch service( in English) and it is also the easiest to get a credit card. But there are probably only about 5 branches available in the entire city. In comparison, Daegu Bank has over a 1,000 ATMs and over a hundred branches, but only 2 branches in Seoul. This makes it really hard to say which bank, in particular, is the "best" in Korea.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by vince rubino on June 8, 2010 at 11:19am

I suspect KEB is the best at catering to foreigners. Shinhan and Hana do not serve foreign customers particularly well.
The best foreign currency exchange rates may be with Hana or Woori. Shinhan and KEB do not have the best foreign currency exchange rates.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Navid Firouz on June 8, 2010 at 11:36am

Thanks guys

It seems, also from asking many others, that KEB is on the top in regards to online banking.
Good to know your feedback in regards to the branches and exchange rates etc.

Navid

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Steven S. Bammel on June 8, 2010 at 11:40am

For the record, I should say we've been very pleased with Woori. I've had my accounts there since they were Hanvit Bank and before that, 상업은행 (not sure the English for that).... Glad to see Vince's comment about the exchange rate being better there, too.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jure Grant Majnaric on July 2, 2010 at 9:29pm

For personal accounts, I like my bank - KEB. They have English speaking staff at several of the branches, most notably the Itaewon branch. At the Gangnam Finance Center branch, they usher you to the foreigner "VIP" part of the branch (if you're a foreigner) unless there is an English-speaking representative when you walk in. What I mean to say is that the level of customer service I have received by KEB personnel exceeds ANY customer service I've received banking at any other branch, both Korean or in the USA.

As far as business accounts go, I can't offer you any advice.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Erik Cornelius on July 5, 2010 at 2:30pm

I like KEB for my general account and credit card. For savings I use HSBC Direct. They used to offer a much higher interest rate than the other banks but it's dropped to an inconsequentially low amount in the last year. Now their main advantage is that they only charge 500 won for bank-to-bank transfers.

As for banks with websites that work for both PC and Mac, good luck. Up until a few days ago the government mandated that the banks use web security protocols based on Active X, which only works with Internet Explorer. While banks may begin offering more browser options within the next few months, to do so earlier would have been required breaking the law.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Navid Firouz on July 5, 2010 at 3:05pm

Thank you Jure and Erik for your comments - they make total sense to me.

I believe KEB also has a mobile application for online banking via iPhone.

• ▶ Reply