By Kim Tong-hyung

KB Kookmin Bank opened a branch Thursday in the Japanese city of Osaka, its latest international unit, as the lender continues to expand its global business.

KB established its Tokyo branch in 1992 but in recent years has been showing greater urgency about expanding, including moves into China and Southeast Asian countries, providing financial services to Korean firms there and also experimenting with retail banking for local consumers.

KB Financial Group Chairman Euh Yoon-dae and KB Kookmin Bank CEO Min Byong-deok attended the opening of the Osaka branch, KB officials said.

KB Kookmin Bank currently has 10 business units in 14 countries, including eight branches. The bank plans to establish a Beijing branch and a Chinese subsidiary by the end of the year.

Min said the bank sees a lot of business opportunities in Osaka, thanks to the city’s concentration of Korean firms and Korean-Japanese people.

``Osaka has been a key driver during Japan’s period of fast economic growth and also has the largest population of Korean-Japanese people. We will thrive to provide the best financial services for Korean companies, expats, Korean-Japanese people and also Japanese firms,’’ Min wrote in an emailed statement.