This year's Asian 100 - compiled using data from UK rating agency IBCA - sees 38 banks rise, 11 remain unchanged from last year and 12 new entries. But 39 institutions drop in the table as they suffer the effects of the deepening crisis in Asian banking.
North Asia accounts for 55 of the region's top 100 banks, with Korea and Taiwan still the major players - 19 and 17 entries respectively. Of these, however, 13 Korean and 11 Taiwanese banks lose ground.
Housing & Commercial Bank (41) is Korea's success story once again: its shareholder equity has nearly trebled over the past two years, from $469 million in our 1995 table, when it ranked 83, to $1.2 billion in 1997. Good news too for Kookmin Bank, at 29, which achieved net profits of $231 million, up from $168 million last year. KorAm Bank (91) rises six places but sees a fall in total assets from $13,947 million to $11,922 million.
Among the Korean banks which slip down the ranking are Korea First Bank (23) Seoulbank (36) and Industrial Bank of Korea, down 16 places to 57.