By Yi Whan-woo
Woori Bank is now open to foreign national customers exclusively every Sunday at five branches nationwide, according to the lender, Tuesday. This move comes despite the continuing shortening of operating hours in the banking industry for offline operations, with the turn towards digitalization.
The nation's fourth-largest lender said foreign nationals who find it tough to use offline banking services on weekdays can visit any of the five branches open on Sunday in Gwanghui-dong, Jung District, in central Seoul, Ansan, Uijeongbu, Baran-ri in Gyeonggi Province and Gimhae in South Gyeongsang Province.
The offline bank branches will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and visitors are required to make a reservation in advance using Woori Bank's mobile banking app.
They will need to select the branch they want to visit and the day of the visit as well as the specific banking purpose.
To increase foreign customers' convenience, Woori Bank is planning to make reservations for Sunday banking services available on its Woori Global Banking app, which was developed solely for customers of foreign nationality.
"We expect that the reservation-based service will help the targeted customers to come prepared with any necessary paperwork in advance," the lender said. "We will continue to expand our efforts to serve them better."
On weekdays, Woori Bank branches are open from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Such business hours were adjusted from the original operating hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. due to the implementation of the pandemic social distancing measures and amid the rise of digital banking.
Meanwhile, other major commercial banks also have been seeking to ensure that offline banking services are still offered for senior citizens and others who prefer such services over fast-growing digital banking services for various reasons.
For instance, since March, KB Kookmin bank has extended the operating hours at 72 of its 900 retail banking branches nationwide by two extra hours to 6 p.m.
Woori Bank is now open to foreign national customers exclusively every Sunday at five branches nationwide, according to the lender, Tuesday. This move comes despite the continuing shortening of operating hours in the banking industry for offline operations, with the turn towards digitalization.
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| Woori Bank's headquarters in central Seoul / Courtesy of Woori Bank |
The offline bank branches will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and visitors are required to make a reservation in advance using Woori Bank's mobile banking app.
They will need to select the branch they want to visit and the day of the visit as well as the specific banking purpose.
To increase foreign customers' convenience, Woori Bank is planning to make reservations for Sunday banking services available on its Woori Global Banking app, which was developed solely for customers of foreign nationality.
"We expect that the reservation-based service will help the targeted customers to come prepared with any necessary paperwork in advance," the lender said. "We will continue to expand our efforts to serve them better."
On weekdays, Woori Bank branches are open from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Such business hours were adjusted from the original operating hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. due to the implementation of the pandemic social distancing measures and amid the rise of digital banking.
Meanwhile, other major commercial banks also have been seeking to ensure that offline banking services are still offered for senior citizens and others who prefer such services over fast-growing digital banking services for various reasons.
For instance, since March, KB Kookmin bank has extended the operating hours at 72 of its 900 retail banking branches nationwide by two extra hours to 6 p.m.
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