KEB Hana Bank CEO Ham Young-joo

By Jhoo Dong-chan



KEB Hana Bank is facing an investigation for possible human rights violations after the bank was found to have requested its Iranian customers to close their bank accounts, according to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Friday.



The controversial move came as the United States has imposed economic sanctions again on the oil-rich Middle Eastern nation, forcing Korean banks to cut their ties with Iranian companies and individuals.



KEB Hana Bank said it requested dozens of its Iranian customers here to close their banks via email and telephone between the end of September and Oct. 12.



The lender has also suspended deposit and withdrawal services for Iranian customers here since Oct. 31.



The bank's Iranian customers are currently only allowed to close their accounts.



"The case is under investigation," said a NHRC official.



"The agency received a petition on Oct 5. KEB Hana Bank is suspected of violating human rights of Iranian people in Korea."



The NHRC stipulates it's discrimination if a certain group of people are mistreated because they are from a certain country.



"I understand their concerns of being subject to the U.S. sanction, but it's unfair to unilaterally suspend Iranian people's banking service whose deposit and withdrawal transactions are nothing to do with any irregularities," Iranian Ali Karimi, who submitted the petition with the NHRC, told local daily Hankyoreh. He lived in Korea for seven years, working as an industrial designer.



"I have lived and worked in Korea for years, but now feel like I'm a terrorist. Even Iranians in the U.S. have yet to be subject to such discriminating practice."





KEB Hana Bank head office in central Seoul / Yonhap