NongHyup Operates Mobile Branches... "Use ATMs During Seollal Holiday"

Most Suspended to Prevent COVID Spread
NongHyup Bank Operates Partially Until the 11th

Efforts to Minimize Customer Inconvenience through Flexible Branches and Emergency Duty

[Asia Economy Reporter Seong Giho] This Lunar New Year holiday, it has become difficult to find mobile branches of commercial banks. The mobile branches, which were installed at highway rest areas every year during the holidays for customer convenience, will not operate this year to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Banks plan to minimize customer inconvenience through flexible branches and emergency duty.

According to the banking sector on the 10th, KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, and Woori Banks will not operate mobile branches during this Lunar New Year holiday period.

Bank mobile branches are mobile stores targeting customers who use ATMs to exchange new bills or secure travel funds. They have mainly been installed at rest areas and operated by installing ATMs inside modified buses, but concerns have been raised about the risk of COVID-19 spreading in the confined space.

Among the five major commercial banks, NH Nonghyup Bank is the only one operating mobile branches until the 11th of this month at Hanam Dream Rest Area on the Jungbu Expressway and the Nonghyup Seongnam Distribution Center. They are available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Banks plan to prevent customer inconvenience in advance through various methods. Woori Bank will operate flexible branches instead of mobile branches. Fourteen currency exchange counters inside the Airport Financial Center are targeted and will be available for currency exchange only from the 11th to the 14th. Four foreigner financial centers, which are frequently visited by foreigners, will also operate for one day on the 14th. The centers are located in Ansan, Gimhae, Uijeongbu, and Gimpo. Woori Bank has completed pre-inspections in preparation for the transaction concentration days before the Lunar New Year holiday, and about 300 IT personnel will be on emergency duty for monitoring and immediate response in case of emergencies.

The other banks will strengthen management by conducting pre-inspections of major systems, frequent system checks during the holiday period, and preparing for cash shortages and malfunctions of ATMs. Shinhan Bank operates a situation room to carry out system capacity pre-inspections and strengthen monitoring. From now until the 15th, 14 to 16 people will work in shifts by work area daily. Kookmin Bank will also have about 90 people on emergency duty, including 40 at the head office and 50 in IT, to respond to unexpected situations.

Hana Bank has been implementing an emergency plan early to ensure system stability during the Lunar New Year holiday. Until the 15th, they will prepare for concentrated transaction volume during the holiday, temporarily expand the system, and have more than seven emergency standby personnel working in shifts for monitoring. About 160 specialized personnel will be on standby through an emergency contact network, considering the possibility of urgent situations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.