London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

A look back at 2011 – part 3

In the final part of our look back at 2011, we summarise some of the news stories which caught our eye. China This year the region’s biggest economy continued flexing its muscles: it conducted the first test flight of its new stealth fighter, announced that it had deployed stealth missile speedboats in the East China … [Read More]

SC First Bank workers demonstrate in London

Someone just told me the Korea Standard Chartered Unions were protesting outside FSA. Popped out to talk to them, but within only five minutes they had already dispersed. Apparently there were only four of them – easy for the Canary Wharf security staff to deal with. #. Last month, when they started their strike, the … [Read More]

AKS members-only visit to Standard Chartered HQ

Here’s your excuse to join the Anglo-Korean Society, which you have been meaning to do for a while. Tour of Standard Chartered Bank 1 Basinghall Avenue, London, EC2V 5DD Wednesday 18th May 2011. 6.00pm for 6.30pm Walk into Standard Chartered’s London Head Office; you will find a piece of Asia transplanted into the Square Mile. … [Read More]

Foreign bank first half results

Korea’s foreign banks had a rosier first half of 2006, after a not too hot full year 2006, where the results were hit by poor positioning in their interest rate books – they were caught out by interest rate increases. Below are the results for the first six months, compared with the same period last … [Read More]

Standard Chartered steers clear, UBS plunges in

As reported by the FT earlier this week, Standard Chartered have decided not to pursue their interest in LG Cards any further. Given the increasing number of households in Korea who can’t make ends meet, this is surely a prudent step: according to the Korea Times, spending exceeds income for 28 percent of households. The … [Read More]

Korea and foreign investment

Standard Chartered Bank chairman Brian Sanderson, in a recent meeting with Roh Moo-hyun, said SCB’s experience in Korea had been positive so far. It will be remembered that SCB bought Korea First Bank, South Korea’s eight-largest lender, from US private equity firm Newbridge Capital and the Korean government for around $3.2bn a year ago, sneaking … [Read More]