Korea and Indonesia have come up with specific blueprints for restructuring their respective
banking and financial sectors post the Asian financial crisis. Even though there have been many
changes recently in the regulations of both countries' banking sector, foreign banks have
tended to operate in certain non-traditional types of markets (e.g., foreign exchange,
derivatives and international banking activities generally) which may require greater or different
regulation. In addition, the domestic regulations' sensitivity to foreign banks has increased
because these foreign banks constitute the entry of a foreign enterprise into each country's
traditional market.
While foreign banking activities in Korea and Indonesia have grown in terms of business
volume, market share and number of branches, banks may operate internationally through the
certain types of foreign banking establishments such as a foreign commercial presence:
branches, representative offices, subsidiaries and joint ventures or consortia. Currently some
Korean banks are operating their businesses in Indonesia; Hana Bank as a foreign exchange
bank, and Korea Exchange Bank and Woori Bank respectively as a joint venture bank.
However, there is no Indonesian bank entry at all in Korea yet. This seems to show that there
have not been many business developments between Korea and Indonesia. In the recent new regulatory environment and situation, foreign banks are now grappling
again with dramatic changes in their own operating environment and are now facing new
developmental and competitive challenges by domestic banks in Korea and Indonesia. This
paper reflects such circumstances and legal review of foreign bank regulations under the new
banking laws and system in Korea and Indonesia, and suggests some guidelines for foreign
banks either from Korea or Indonesia.