| Bank of Joseon | ||||||||
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Head office in Seoul |
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The Bank of Joseon or Bank of Chosen was the central bank of Colonial Korea, and of South Korea. The bank issued the Korean yen from 1910 to 1945 and the won from 1945 to 1950.
The bank was established by the Governor-General of Korea in 1910 as the Kankoku Ginkō, taking the place of the privately-held Korean branch of Daiichi Kokuritsu Ginkō (First National Bank), which had established a branch in 1878. After the annexation of Korean Empire by Japan in 1910, the bank was reorganized and its name was changed to reflect the official name for Korea.
The bank remained a privately-held corporation with stock owned by a number of Japanese banks and companies; however, its board was appointed by the Governor-General of Korea.
The bank was responsible for issuing currency in Korea, regulated domestic prices, and serviced international trade with branches in Manchukuo, and major ports in China and in Japan, as well as in London and New York.
The bank was dissolved in 1950, and replaced by the newly formed Bank of Korea.