Korea Exchange Bank

KEB headquarters in Seoul

Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) is the fifth largest Korean commercial bank in terms of local banking system deposits with a 7% share. It is a private commercial bank providing commercial, merchant and trust banking facilities as well as foreign exchange services to individuals, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and corporate clients. Korea Exchange Bank operates 326 domestic and 36 overseas branches in 22 other countries. KEB’s shares have been traded on the Korea Stock Exchange since 1994. As of September 30, 2008, Lone Star, a US private equity firm, was the largest shareholder with a 51.02% stake in the bank. Korea Exchange Bank is one of the very few specialized banks in South Korea that buys and sell foreign currency coinage. Even though South Korea is an economically-free area and many other commercial banks in South Korea such as Kookmin Bank and Shinhan Bank provide foreign exchange services, KEB still earns the largest income from foreign exchange products, as many people still think Korea Exchange Bank as the only foreign exchange bank, or that their services are most accessible. 40% of South Korea's foreign exchange income is held by Korea Exchange Bank. The bank was founded in 1967 by the Korean Government and privatized in December 1989. As of December 31, 2011, Korea Exchange Bank had total assets of KRW100,496,986 million (US$86.63 billion) and total equity of KRW8,634,201 million (US$7.44 billion).

KEB Overseas Branches