Hanmi Bank rises from Koreatown lender to regional bank

Founded by Korean immigrants to the US in 1982, it is now readying to open its first overseas office in Seoul

It began in 1982 as a small community bank for Korean immigrants in Los Angeles, California. Today, Hanmi Bank, under Nasdaq-listed Hanmi Financial Corp., has grown into one of the US' top 10 Asian American-owned banks, symbolizing the rising influence of the Korean community in the world's largest economy.

The first bank established by Korean immigrants to the US on Nov. 18 announced the launch of its first overseas office, in Seoul.

The office is expected to bridge the information gap for its customers with its home country, whose gross domestic product has soared more than 20-fold over the past four decades to $1,712.8 billion in 2023, according to the World Bank.

Its Seoul office will further help Korean companies to expand their operations and investments in the US. It is located within theInternational Finance Center Seoul (IFC). 

"Foreign direct investment from South Korea into the US has steadily
increased in recent years, and we anticipate this trend to continue," said Bonnie Lee, president and chief executive officer of Hanmi, in a press release.

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THE KOREA ECONOMIC DAILY GLOBAL EDITION