New Office
Korean Bank Launches VIP Branch
IBK Securities Co, an affiliate of the
Industrial Bank of Korea, has opened a new "celebrity branch"
that offers exclusive private banking services to Korean sports
stars and entertainers.
The " Star Plaza" is on the twelfth floor of the 63 Building
in Yeouido, Seoul, and has a private entrance. In a statement,
the company said that the branch is designed to cater
for the time-restricted and discreet lifestyles of
celebrities, which the bank aims to serve with customer-specific
products.
"Celebrity private banking is already a mature part of the
industry in developed nations," said
Yoo Jeong-seob, the general manager of the Star Plaza
branch.
The move adds to the growing Korean trend of financial services
providers targeting specific niches. In 2008, Korea Exchange Bank
launched all-English branches to serve expatriates. Early this
year, SC First Bank opened a women-only private banking branch.
