As part of its strategic expansion plan, FGB has set up a new representative office in Seoul, South Korea.

FGB's new office will strengthen the bank's presence in the Asia Pacific region, in addition to its branch in Singapore and its representative office in Hong Kong. The Seoul office will work on supporting existing FGB clients' operations which also have a presence in Korea, in addition to providing services to Korean investors and companies that are active in the UAE, GCC and across Asia.

Commenting on the new office, Andre Sayegh, CEO of FGB said: "Our new representative office in Seoul comes as a logical next step for our international expansion strategy. FGB's approach towards global expansion has always been very strategic and calculated, to ensure that it complements our local operations and the needs of our clients, and that it is in line with our overall vision and direction. Our recent rebrand signifies FGB's aspirations to position the bank for long-term success locally and globally, and we are taking active steps to achieve this ambition, by establishing the first UAE based bank in South Korea."

Simon Penney, Head of Wholesale Banking Group, added: "The establishment of the new representative office is a significant step to boost our operations in the region. The office will be our main point of contact with Korean companies, allowing us to strengthen our relationships with the local market and to assist clients with their operations domestically and internationally. Initially the focus of operation will be on financing, treasury and trade support. FGB will also extend its services to its existing clientele base through the office by leveraging relationships and creating new business partnerships."

With over 14 years of experience in banking and finance, Woojin Han will be heading the new office. He joins FGB from ING where he worked as Director & Head FI Korea and Mongolia managing the company's banking and non-banking clients. Woojin also held prominent positions in ANZ, HSBC and Citi banks.

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