Hanwha Life chief global officer touts expanding financial cooperation between Korea, UAE

Kim Dong-won, chief global officer of Hanwha Life, stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral financial cooperation between Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during his opening address at the Global Markets Summit on Monday.

The session was part of Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) 2025, which runs through Thursday.

“Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1980, South Korea and the UAE have continuously expanded the scope of cooperation,” Kim said in his English-language remarks, adding that the company will initiate a “100-year partnership” between the two nations.

He added that finance plays a critical role in building a sustainable partnership between the two countries, calling it “the catalyst that transforms the will to cooperate into feasible opportunities,” and “the vital force that sustains industry and fuels innovation.”

He also highlighted the company’s goal to create a new financial ecosystem through cooperation with Abu Dhabi, specifying that areas will include co-investments in real-world assets, supply-chain finance, cross-border payment infrastructure and development of digital-asset platforms.

“It is our aspiration that the journey we embark upon together will become a global reference for the next generation of finance,” Kim added.

Hanwha Life, Hanwha General Insurance, Hanwha Asset Management and Hanwha Investment & Securities are participating in ADFW 2025 as premier partners.

ADFW, organized by the Abu Dhabi Global Market, is the largest financial event in the Middle East, bringing together global financial leaders to discuss key agendas and future cooperation initiatives. This year marks the event’s fourth edition and is being held under the theme “Engineering the Capital Network,” focusing on measures to establish a new financial operating system that integrates traditional and digital finance.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [[email protected]]