As markets surge, banks vie for dealing room spotlight

Clockwise from top left: The latest dealing room images released by Hana Bank, Woori Bank, KB Kookmin Bank and Shinhan Bank (Respective banks)

Local banks are turning their dealing rooms into a marketing battleground, as a heightened interest in stocks and currency exchange pushes trading floors into the media spotlight.

Hana Bank has long been regarded as a powerhouse in dealing-room operations, having bolstered its foreign exchange capabilities through its 2015 merger with Korea Exchange Bank, a lender originally set up to support cross-border transactions.

In 2024, Hana Bank expanded its trading facility, which it rebranded as Hana Infinity Seoul. Spanning 2,095 square meters and accommodating 126 seats, it is the country’s largest dealing room.

On days of sharp market rallies or sell-offs, media outlets have typically flocked to Hana Bank’s dealing room to capture footage for news coverage.

Rival banks have recently been intensifying efforts to enhance their visibility, seeking to cement their image as a leading player in the capital market. The competition reflects heightened public interest in the stock market amid the benchmark Kospi’s unprecedented rally.

In August, Woori Bank completed a 2 billion won ($1.35 million) renovation of its dealing room. It installed a 48-meter-long high-definition panoramic display in the first-floor lobby earlier this month, featuring stock indices and exchange rates of the won against key currencies.

Shinhan Bank has enhanced media accessibility by installing a large electronic display on the first floor of its headquarters late last year, separate from its main dealing room on the second floor. In addition, the bank has assigned dedicated staff to support media coverage.

KB Kookmin Bank carried out a large-scale renovation of its Yeouido headquarters in 2018, investing around 8 billion won.

Rather than merely inviting reporters into their dealing rooms, lenders’ public relations teams are distributing photos of the spaces to boost media exposure. Public relations officials are also proactively encouraging media outlets to use images taken at their institutions.

With the Kospi possibly poised to approach the 5,000-point milestone soon, after surging past the 4,900 threshold on Monday, attention is turning to which bank’s dealing room will feature most prominently in media coverage on the historic day.

The continued growth of the foreign exchange market is also driving banks to invest more heavily in their dealing rooms. Trading volumes are expected to rise further as hours are set to be extended from the current 2 a.m. close to 24 hours on weekdays by July.

“Greater exposure of the dealing room helps reinforce a bank’s image as a strong player in the capital market, which is why banks are placing such importance on the competition,” an official from a local bank said.

“Given that Hana Bank has long been the front-runner with the highest level of exposure, other banks now appear to be competing to increase their share of visibility,” the official added.