Kbank, South Korea’s first internet-only bank, announced a partnership with Ripple on April 27, 2026, to pilot blockchain-based remittances on specific corridors including Korea-UAE and Korea-Thailand. Social media claims attributing this development to Jeonbuk Bank are unverified: the latter actually partnered with Nium in November 2023 for real-time remittances targeting roughly 2.5 million non-Korean residents living in South Korea. Kbank’s partnership with Ripple represents one of the first confirmed pilots of Ripple’s payment technology by a licensed South Korean bank, offering instant transfers without needing to pre-fund correspondent accounts. This pilot is a crucial proof point for Ripple in Asia, as South Korea has been a tougher market to crack despite established partnerships in Japan through SBI Holdings and in Southeast Asia.
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