Foreign customers wait for services at Hana Bank’s Euljiro branch in Seoul, Sunday. Korea Times photo by Lee Kyung-min
John T. Emocling, 47, a welder from the Philippines who works at a factory in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, said he took a bus and a taxi to get to Hana Bank’s Euljiro branch in Seoul.
“It took me 30 minutes by bus and another 20 minutes by taxi to get here,” he said. “But I took the time because this is the only branch that opens on Sunday. I can’t come during weekdays because of work.”
He said he needed to send money back to his family in the Philippines. “I usually send them 1 million won ($673) a month. I heard about Hana Bank’s Euljiro branch from an online Filipino community where members share information about life in Korea," he said. “Many people recommended the branch, where people like me can go on Sundays. That’s why I’m here.”
Similarly, Fhely de Castro, 52, a domestic worker and private English tutor, said it took her 45 minutes to get to the branch. “I have to send money to my family in the Philippines, including my son and my mom. I earn about 2.5 million won per month and send them about 1.5 million won.”
What she liked most about the Euljiro branch was its language services. “Hana Bank has a translator who speaks Filipino, English and Korean. I heard she has been here for quite a while. She’s very quick and friendly with people, making us feel at ease," she said.
The translator, Veronica Viray, 52, said she has worked at the bank for eight years. “Many workers from my country need to open a bank account to send money back to the Philippines. Some of them open term deposits, too. I mostly help them with those.”
Foreign customers wait for services at Hana Bank’s Euljiro branch in Seoul, Sunday. Korea Times photo by Lee Kyung-min
Lim Jong-gap, who came to the branch from Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, said he would like to see more bank branches open on Sunday.
“I didn’t know there was a branch that was open on Sundays until my wife told me about it. She heard about it from her friends. It took me a while to get here today, and I was surprised to see so many people at a bank on a Sunday. I think it would be a good idea for other banks to open more branches like this.”
Source: Korea Times News
