UK Export Finance (UKEF) has appointed its seventh international export finance executive in Asia, hiring Chulbohm Kim to become the export credit agency’s representative in Seoul.

Kim joins UKEF after a 22-year career with Standard Chartered, bringing what the agency describes as a wealth of project and export credit agency financing experience across sectors such as energy, infrastructure and transport. He was most recently the bank’s head of export credit agency business in South Korea.

UKEF says the role is based within the UK embassy in Seoul, “working closely with major UK government departments to showcase the expertise, capability and profile of UK businesses”.

“We’re delighted to have a UKEF specialist in South Korea for the first time, as it signals the start of new opportunities for UK businesses to increase trade in the region, with government-backed finance,” says Tim Reid, UKEF’s CEO. “South Korea is a major export destination for us already and we’re glad to deepen our existing trade relationship.”

UKEF has £4bn of coverage available for South Korean buyers who are able to source 20% of content from the UK. South Korea is currently the UK’s 18th-largest export market.

UKEF already has six such export finance executives in Asia and a further 13 globally.