Korean Job Discussion Forums

taobenli · Joined: 26 Apr 2004

Hmm...Japanese banks should talk. I could not have gotten a card at my Japanese bank that could be used in other countries. It's no urban legend...my bank in Japan closed at 3:00, and the ATM at 5:00 or 6:00 (one in the town stayed open till 6:00). On weekends the bank wasn't open at all, and the ATM open till 3:00. I mean, I wasn't in Tokyo, but my town wasn't SO podunk that I should have had as many problems with banks as I did.

vlcupper · Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Location: Gangnam

I heard the reason they do that is so the menfolk won't spend all the family money on karaoke bars, strip clubs, and gambling.

I think THAT might be an urban legend.

matthewwoodford · Joined: 01 Oct 2003 Location: Location, location, location.

This often frustrated me when I first came here. 9:30pm and nowhere to get any money out. So I got in the habit of carrying around large amounts of cash.

Nowadays, in Seoul at least, there seem to be more 24 hour ATMs about, and a lot more English ATMs too...Of course, in accordance with Murphy's law, I no longer need English ATMs nowadays.

Why do ATMs shut down here? Is it...

a)...because Koreans think ATMs need to sleep at night? i.e. for no good reason whatsoever, this is bureaucratic rule 210.99/3c and we stick to it. Evil or Very Mad

b)...a government disincentive to going out on the town rather than staying home with the family like good little worker bees? A leftover from the days of dictatorship and curfew? Question

c)...because they still have no denomination larger than the 10,000 won note with the result that Korean ATMs need refilling more often and they think security staff need to sleep at night? Confused

I guess it's c.) and it's about time they introduced larger denominations.

vlcupper · Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Location: Gangnam

I think it's a. It makes the least sense logically, so it makes the most sense in Korea.

Sorry. I just spent 20 minutes in the fucking rain trying hail a fucking cab, and I'm not very pro-fucking Korea right now.

Blind Willie · Joined: 05 May 2004

hari seldon · Joined: 05 Dec 2004 Location: Incheon

When Korea finally decides to do something about the woeful productivity and inefficiency of its domestic financial $ervice $ector, it will open the gates to foreign competition and we'll see the beginning of the end of nine to five weekday banking hours and take it or leave it service. The running gag that is the Woori Bank will be on its knees quicker than you can say "takeover."

Zenpickle · Joined: 06 Jan 2004 Location: Anyang -- Bisan

Back in June, I ran into the problem of my card not working in any ATM even though I had money in my account and others were able to get money out. Turned out that the whole KB system was down. You know, the same happened to me in the U.S. once when my bank got a hacker attack. It was down for 24 hours.