BBCN Bank, the largest Korean-American bank that has mostly focused on ethnic Korean customers in the United States, said Monday it is set to start business here to support Korean companies entering the U.S. 
   
"BBCN Bank plans to officially open its Seoul office in November and prepare to open a Seoul branch within 1-2 years," the lender said in a statement released ahead of a ceremony marking its Korea expansion.
   
"BBCN Bank, which is the first among Korean-American banks to expand into South Korea, plans to operate foreign exchange services as well as financial services for Korean companies that have or plan to enter the U.S. market," it said.
   
The Nasdaq-listed lender manages US$7 billion in assets and $5.5 billion in deposits. BBCN Bank, the sixth-largest bank in California, currently operates 50 branches and six loan program offices across the U.S. (Yonhap)