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[h=1]StanChart Korea faces uncertainty to future of operations
[/h]Standard Chartered Bank Korea (SCBK) faces an uncertain future because its parent company plans to turn around its retail and commercial banking businesses by cutting non-core ones, a global credit ratings agency said Tuesday.
Moody's Investors Service said it has placed on review for downgrade the long-term and short-term ratings of the local unit of the London-based banking group because Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) plans to exit the Korean affiliate's non-strategic businesses and low-returning client relationships.
"Moody's notes that SCB's plan to turn around its poorly performing Korean retail and commercial banking businesses, announced in its global strategy view on November 3, introduces some uncertainty as to the future of SCBK's operations," Moody's said.
The report came a week after Standard Chartered Bank announced its new strategy to create a lean, focused and more profitable bank. The U.K. banking group said it will take all measures to turn around its Korean businesses, including improving returns on and liquidating assets in Goldman Sachs Asset Management, which are beyond its new risk tolerances.
Standard Chartered Bank Korea posted a 111.5 billion won net profit in the first half of this year, from a 22.5 billion won net loss a year ago, according to data from the Financial Supervisory Service. It had a 64.6 billion won net loss in 2014. SCBK is based in Seoul and had assets of 61.7 trillion won as of June.
Standard Chartered Bank said it will cut 15,000 jobs by 2018 to simplify its structure. Its Korean unit also plans to follow by running an early retirement program. Standard Chartered Bank Korea is negotiating with its labor union.
The local unit also agreed last month with its union to adopt a wage peak system from January, cutting salaries of employees aged 56 and over. Korea's legal retirement age is 60.
Introducing a wage peak system is one of the key labor policies of the Park Geun-hye administration that aims to create more jobs for young people. But it has faced a strong backlash from labor unions, which accuse it of "stealing a father's job for a son."
Market watchers said Standard Chartered Bank is pressuring affiliates to be profitable to overcome its poor performance. The bank said it posted a pre-tax loss of $139 million in the third quarter.
"Standard Chartered Bank's efforts to be profitable will be made globally, applying to all the markets," said an industry source.

Moody's Investors Service said it has placed on review for downgrade the long-term and short-term ratings of the local unit of the London-based banking group because Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) plans to exit the Korean affiliate's non-strategic businesses and low-returning client relationships.
"Moody's notes that SCB's plan to turn around its poorly performing Korean retail and commercial banking businesses, announced in its global strategy view on November 3, introduces some uncertainty as to the future of SCBK's operations," Moody's said.
The report came a week after Standard Chartered Bank announced its new strategy to create a lean, focused and more profitable bank. The U.K. banking group said it will take all measures to turn around its Korean businesses, including improving returns on and liquidating assets in Goldman Sachs Asset Management, which are beyond its new risk tolerances.
Standard Chartered Bank Korea posted a 111.5 billion won net profit in the first half of this year, from a 22.5 billion won net loss a year ago, according to data from the Financial Supervisory Service. It had a 64.6 billion won net loss in 2014. SCBK is based in Seoul and had assets of 61.7 trillion won as of June.
Standard Chartered Bank said it will cut 15,000 jobs by 2018 to simplify its structure. Its Korean unit also plans to follow by running an early retirement program. Standard Chartered Bank Korea is negotiating with its labor union.
The local unit also agreed last month with its union to adopt a wage peak system from January, cutting salaries of employees aged 56 and over. Korea's legal retirement age is 60.
Introducing a wage peak system is one of the key labor policies of the Park Geun-hye administration that aims to create more jobs for young people. But it has faced a strong backlash from labor unions, which accuse it of "stealing a father's job for a son."
Market watchers said Standard Chartered Bank is pressuring affiliates to be profitable to overcome its poor performance. The bank said it posted a pre-tax loss of $139 million in the third quarter.
"Standard Chartered Bank's efforts to be profitable will be made globally, applying to all the markets," said an industry source.