Along with five others, they had been forced to draw up restructuring plans after falling short of the 8% ratio of capital to risk-weighted assets that is considered the acceptable minimum by international financial regulators (by more than six percentage points in the case of Commercial Bank of Korea).

ECONOMIST: Forced friendship in South Korea | The

With his trusty notebook computer, the new CEO of South Korea's Housing and Commercial Bank is going around the country monitoring the performance of HCB's 446 branches and 54 offices.

CNN: HERE COME THE MAVERICKS

The two partners, Hanil Bank and Commercial Bank of Korea, are among Korea's sickest banks.

ECONOMIST: Forced friendship in South Korea

Friday, branches of the Bank of China and the China Industrial and Commercial Bank in the border city of Dandong told NPR that they had suspended all financial transactions between North Korea and China since the nuclear test.

NPR: Rice Confident China Is Serious About N. Korea

Hanvit is the result of a merger of two ailing giants, No. 3 Hanil Bank and No. 6 Commercial Bank of Korea.

CNN: HERE COME THE MAVERICKS