South Korea aims to strengthen ties with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and explore new collaborative projects, according to First Vice Finance Minister Bang Ki-sun. The statement was made during a meeting with Ludger Schuknecht, AIIB's vice president, in Seoul. Bang urged the AIIB to further support Korean financial institutions seeking investment opportunities and to increase the employment of Korean staff at the bank. Schuknecht expressed appreciation for South Korea's contributions to the AIIB's development and a desire to reinforce cooperation with Korean businesses and financial institutions. Currently, South Korea is the AIIB's fifth-largest stakeholder, owning 3.86% of its shares, with 24 Korean staff members making up 4.6% of the bank's total employees.