Los Angeles (Yonhap) -- Hana Financial Group Inc.,

South Korea's No. 4 banking group, said Saturday that it is pushing

to acquire a Korean American commercial bank in the United States

as part of its bid to accelerate expansion abroad.

   The move comes as Hana Financial Group seeks to boost overseas

revenue by taking over the Korea Exchange Bank (KEB), South Korea's

No. 5 lender, in one of the biggest banking deals in South Korean

history.

   "We are eying (targets) on the East and West coasts where a

large number of overseas Koreans reside," Yun Yong-ro, vice

chairman who oversees Hana's businesses, told reporters during his

visit to the U.S. city.

   "We are ready to start talks with any banks," Yun added,

declining to give further details.

   Hana Financial Group, which has South Korea's No. 4 lender Hana

Bank under its wing, is awaiting regulatory approval from the U.S.

and Hong Kong to finalize the pending purchase of KEB.

   Last month, Hana secured approval from the South Korean

regulator to buy a major stake in KEB from Lone Star Funds in a

deal worth 3.9 trillion won ($3.5 billion).

   The KEB deal will allow Hana Financial, which has been largely

focused on domestic business, to take control of the largest

overseas network run by a Korean lender.