South Korea’s financial regulators are exploring ways to increase competition in the sector and break the dominance of the biggest lenders.
Latest articles from James King


Challenges ahead for Nigeria and South Africa as they join FATF grey list
March 16, 2023FATF’s greylisting of Africa’s two biggest economies will deepen existing economic troubles in both markets.

Turkey’s controversial monetary policy continues
March 3, 2023The central bank of Turkey’s macroprudential adjustments has made the operating environment for the country’s banks increasingly complex.

Bahraini lenders eye mortgage boost
February 27, 2023Having benefited from high government spending during the pandemic, Bahrain’s banks are looking to the retail sector to support growth in the coming year.

Bahrain’s economy enjoys respite despite long-term challenges
February 20, 2023The country faces an uphill battle to prepare for a future beyond oil.

Basel III reforms go-live aimed at 2025
February 16, 2023The delayed Basel III reforms are poised for progress in 2023, but there are signs of divergence between EU, UK and US implementation.

Multi-currency will define the ‘Asian century’
December 9, 2022As the centre of the world seems to shift eastwards, the region is turning away from the US dollar and towards bilateral local currency settlement.

The year ahead: reconfiguring business as usual
November 29, 2022The global economy is at an inflection point, as governments unwind their Covid-19 relief programmes, political tensions ratchet up and inflation hits double-digits in many countries. Is there a crisis in the making?

Malaysia initiative targets capital market growth
November 24, 2022The country’s capital market regulator aims to bolster digitisation and SME access to finance, but it is failing to address fundamental problems.

Singapore-China green finance agreement signals regional trend
November 17, 2022A set of new sustainable development initiatives is establishing Singapore as a green finance hub and hints at Beijing’s broader intentions in the region.