South Korea bank data breaches have prompted President Lee Jae Myung to order a comprehensive investigation following hacking attacks that exposed customer information at major financial institutions. Shinhan Bank said personal information belonging to around 25,000 customers was leaked, including names, telephone numbers and annual income. Hana Bank reported a separate breach affecting 89 customers, while Woori Bank and NH Nonghyup Bank experienced hacking attempts but preve

APAC banks digital services are becoming increasingly important to customer retention as consumers demand more personalised financial advice and AI-enabled banking capabilities, according to research by Temenos and Celent. The study found 72% of Asia-Pacific consumers were only moderately satisfied or less satisfied with their primary financial institution. Better online and mobile banking would persuade 43% of APAC consumers to switch institutions, while 58% want more financ

Singapore seniors digital payments are increasing rapidly as older customers become more comfortable using mobile banking for online shopping and overseas travel, according to OCBC. Digital payment transactions made through OCBC’s mobile app by customers aged 60 and above increased nearly 60% in the year to June 30, 2026. The number of senior customers using the app for digital payments rose almost 30%. PayNow transactions by seniors on e-commerce and livestream shopping plat

Samsung AI agents could fundamentally change workplace practices and corporate culture as artificial intelligence moves from conversational tools towards systems capable of independently performing tasks and making decisions, according to Samsung Electronics co-CEO Jun Young-hyun. Speaking as Samsung hosted its annual AI Forum in Seoul, Jun said the impact of AI agents would extend beyond technological innovation to reshape how companies operate and employees work. The event

Hong Kong AI financial planning is becoming increasingly accepted by banking customers, although users continue to demand human oversight and strong protection of personal information, according to the Hong Kong Institute of Bankers. An HKIB survey of 400 people found more than 60% use AI daily or weekly, while half have already used artificial intelligence tools for financial planning. However, customers continue to place importance on human involvement. About 48% said acces

Citi Taiwan investment banking ranked first in market revenue year-to-date as the US bank expanded its role in cross-border financing and mergers and acquisitions involving Taiwanese companies, according to Dealogic data. Citi said it has raised more than USD12bn for Taiwanese clients this year, including financing through convertible bonds and global depositary receipts, with technology companies accounting for a significant proportion of activity. Since 2020, the bank has r

Citi agentic AI Hong Kong initiatives are expanding as the bank works with regulators and industry partners to accelerate adoption of artificial intelligence across the city’s financial sector. Citi’s annual fintech forum, themed “Beyond AI-Ready: Shaping the Agentic Future of Finance”, brought together regulators, financial institutions and fintech companies to discuss applications across wealth management, banking and payments. The bank showcased Citi Sky, a conversational

Singapore AI safeguards proposals include exploring a United Nations framework convention to establish international principles and institutions governing rapidly developing artificial intelligence technologies. Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told the UN General Assembly that attempts to pause AI development were unlikely to succeed given US-China competition and powerful commercial incentives, making international rules and institutions increasingly important. He propo

The Hong Kong accounting qualification pipeline will continue receiving government support as authorities seek to strengthen the supply of professionals serving the city’s financial sector. Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau Under Secretary Joseph Chan said the government would continue backing the Qualification Programme operated by the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The programme provides training across accounting, business and finance while d

BNP Paribas Asia transaction banking operations will come under the leadership of Aymar de Liedekerke Beaufort as the French lender strengthens its cross-border corporate banking platform between Asia and Europe. Beaufort, currently Asia-Pacific head of global banking, has also been appointed regional head of transaction banking and will oversee both businesses from September. Based in Hong Kong, he will report to Asia-Pacific CEO Paul Yang. Beaufort succeeds Philippe Noirot,

Zhang Yiming Asia richest person status has been established after the ByteDance founder’s fortune exceeded USD105bn, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Zhang, 43, has seen his wealth increase eightfold from USD13bn in March 2019, when Bloomberg began tracking his fortune. He now ranks 18th among the world’s wealthiest people. Binance founder Changpeng Zhao follows among Asia’s richest individuals with USD81bn, while Fast Retailing founder Tadashi Yanai has USD63.

Southeast Asia AI financial decisions are becoming increasingly common, with around four in five consumers having acted primarily on artificial intelligence advice or recommendations, according to UOB. The bank’s 2026 Asean Consumer Sentiment Study surveyed 5,000 consumers across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Consumers in Vietnam and Indonesia reported the highest rates of positive outcomes from AI-assisted financial decisions, while Singapore had the

GXBank IFC MSME financing could support up to USD110m in lending to Malaysian businesses under a risk-sharing partnership designed to expand credit to underserved companies. The International Finance Corporation, the World Bank Group’s private-sector investment arm, will provide up to USD4.95m in unfunded first-loss coverage, according to GXBank. The facility will allow the Malaysian digital bank to increase lending to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, including comp

The UBS Shenzhen wealth unit covering fund distribution and the WE.UBS digital platform will close later this month as the Swiss bank adjusts its strategy for wealthy Chinese clients, Reuters reported. UBS confirmed the closure but said WE.UBS is expected to be renamed and integrated into its Chinese securities business. The bank’s other wealth management platforms in China will continue operating. Launched in October 2022, WE.UBS struggled to attract sufficient investors in

Hong Kong banks generative AI investment is accelerating as financial institutions make the technology and process automation their leading technology priority through 2030. A Hong Kong Association of Banks and Deloitte survey found that 53% of respondents ranked generative AI and process automation as their top technology investment priority, indicating a move towards broader adoption. The report found 52% of banks were optimistic about the industry’s development through 203

SGX crypto perpetual futures could soon become available to US institutional investors as Singapore Exchange expands its push into regulated cryptocurrency derivatives. SGX has filed with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission to offer its Bitcoin and Ether perpetual futures to American institutions, Bloomberg reported. The contracts could become available if the regulator raises no objection within 10 days. SGX launched the products in November and has since recorded ar

Hong Kong insurers partnerships with technology, healthcare and professional-services companies are expanding as providers respond to changing client requirements and tighter mainland Chinese taxation of offshore investments. Prudential has partnered with Alibaba Cloud to develop an artificial intelligence underwriting tool that can help financial consultants make preliminary decisions using clients’ financial and medical information. Manulife has also signed agreements with

A Xi Washington CEO delegation is being prepared for the Chinese president’s Sept. 24 summit as Beijing seeks to signal support for commercial and investment ties with the United States, Reuters reported. Xi Jinping rarely travels overseas with large groups of corporate executives, and Reuters said it had not determined which business leaders would participate. His last sizeable corporate delegation to the US was in 2015 and included Alibaba founder Jack Ma and Tencent founde

Wang Jianjun life sentence proceedings have ended with the former China Securities Regulatory Commission vice chairman receiving life imprisonment for accepting more than RMB93m (USD13m) in bribes. State broadcaster CCTV reported that the court found Wang had used his positions between 2005 and 2019 to secure benefits for companies and individuals. The benefits involved company listings, corporate financing and business contracts, with Wang accepting money and property in ret

Singapore accounting firms Asia expansion could become easier under a regional professional-services network being developed by the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants. ISCA’s Professional Services Centre network allows smaller Singapore firms to work with local providers for regulated services, market expertise and business connections without incurring the full cost of establishing overseas offices. A newly launched Jakarta centre joins existing locations in Singap