Yoo Hyung-cheol, consul general of Korea in Hong Kong, gives a welcoming speech during a meeting of Korean women working in the financial industry in Hong Kong at the Korean Consulate General there, Thursday. Courtesy of Consul General of Korea in Hong Kong

Around 30 Korean women working in the financial industry in Hong Kong gathered at the Korean Consulate General there on Thursday to launch a career network.

The meeting was sponsored by Yoo Hyung-cheol, the consul general of Korea in Hong Kong.

At the meeting, Kim Sang-kyung, the chair of the Korea Network of Women in Finance, shared her experiences as a first-generation international finance professional and how she tackled challenges at a time when women were even rarer in the industry.

She stressed the need for establishing a network of women in global financial markets like Hong Kong and explained how such networks would enable them to help each other.

Yoo, meanwhile, encouraged participants to demonstrate their capabilities in the global scene and expressed hope that the gathering will promote experience sharing and even arrange job opportunities for young Korean women who aspire to advance into the global finance market.

During the meeting, participants discussed future plans, including mentorship and job market information sharing.

Kim said the network will likely expand to cooperate with those in other financial hubs such as Singapore and New York.