Towards A Global Financial Hub: Busan International Finance Center
The Evolving Ecosystem Of BIFC & Key Financial Institutions
Mixer - Conference - London
With Thanks To Our Event Sponsor:
Background: Busan Finance Center (BFC), in collaboration with the Korea Housing Finance Corporation (KHFC) and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), is hosting an event in London to highlight developments and new policy initiatives in Busan, including investment opportunities. Hear from Dr Soongoo Ahn as he discusses BFC’s developments in maritime finance and the relocation of key maritime institutions to Busan. Representatives from KHFC and FSS will also provide overviews of their London operations, covering national housing guarantees and mortgage finance, as well as financial supervision, AML, and global regulatory cooperation.
With expert insights from leading financial and regulatory institutions, this event offers a comprehensive view of Busan’s evolving financial landscape and its ambitions to become a global hub for maritime and financial services. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with key decision-makers and discover why Busan is rapidly emerging as a compelling destination for global finance.
Speakers:
Dr Soongoo Ahn is a director at the Busan Finance Center. He earned his doctoral degree from Bayes Business School, City University of London and holds an M.Sc. in Economics and Strategy from Imperial College London. Before his tenure at the Busan Finance Center, he led the Sustainable Finance Division at UN Global Compact Network Korea and taught international business as an assistant professor at Ulsan College University.
His expertise lies in strategic hub (platform) ecosystems, applying this knowledge across various finance fields, including sustainable finance, digital finance, and maritime finance. With this expertise, he has collaborated closely with Charles Baden-Fuller, a Centenary Professor at Bayes Business School, and Heesung Yun, a Distinguished Professor at Korea Maritime & Ocean University, to research the prospective ecosystem of the Busan Finance Center. He is a member of the Academy of Management, The Korea Port Economic Association, and The Korean Association of Financial Engineering.
Seonghoon Yoon, a senior manager at Korea Housing Finance Corporation, has joined the London branch as an IR manager since 2024. He has worked for the securitization department of KHFC for several years and has full knowledge of securitization and covered bonds pricing. He has managed derivative portfolios to hedge interest rate risk.
Hyunwoo You is a Senior Manager at the London Representative Office of the Financial Supervisory Service, the integrated financial regulator of South Korea. In this role, he plays a key part in fostering regulatory cooperation and strategic dialogue between South Korea and the UK. With over a decade of experience in financial regulation, risk management, and supervisory oversight, he leads initiatives to ensure compliance and stability across Korean financial institutions operating in the UK market, fostering regulatory collaboration between the two countries.
He has executed risk-based examinations of credit unions and insurance companies and contributed to crafting regulatory policy, actively participating in global standards working groups of international regulatory organizations. As a Certified Public Accountant (KICPA), he combines his deep financial expertise with regulatory knowledge and practical internship experience in investment banking and consulting. Leveraging this unique expertise, he effectively bridges regulatory and financial landscapes to promote international collaboration.
Speaker(s):
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Dr Soongoo Ahn
Director
Busan Finance Center
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Seonghoon Yoon
Senior Analyst, Fixed Income
Korea Housing Finance Corporation
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Hyunwoo You
Senior Manager
Financial Supervisory Service
Chairman:
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Mike Wardle
Chief Executive Officer
Z/Yen GroupLocation
Bakers’ Hall
Harp Lane
London EC3R 6DP