Airwallex Appoints Yuna Kwon as Head of SME for South Korea to Accelerate Growth and Global Expansion for Local Businesses

Seoul, South Korea – Airwallex, a leading global financial platform, today announced the appointment of Yuna Kwon as Head of SME for South Korea. In this role, Yuna will be responsible for leading Airwallex’s Korea operations, building strategic partnerships with financial institutions, strengthening engagement with industry stakeholders and key media, and expanding customer success initiatives. Through Airwallex’s cross-border financial solutions, she will support Korean businesses to scale seamlessly into international markets.

The appointment comes at a pivotal time for Airwallex in South Korea. Earlier this year, the company significantly bolstered its local capabilities by obtaining Payment Gateway (PG) and Prepaid Electronic Payment Instrument licenses, as well as a Foreign Exchange Business registration, through a strategic acquisition. These milestones provide the regulatory foundation for Airwallex to offer its full suite of proprietary financial infrastructure directly within the Korean market - the fifth-largest e-commerce market in the world and where online sales now account for nearly half of all retail activity.

Yuna joins Airwallex with over a decade of leadership experience across the e-commerce and management consulting sectors. She most recently served as Head of Korea and Japan Cross-border at Shopee, where she was instrumental in driving regional expansion and facilitating international trade for local merchants. Prior to her leadership roles at Shopee, Yuna was a consultant at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), specializing in commercial due diligence and investment strategy. 

"I am honored to take on the role at such an important juncture for Airwallex in South Korea," said Yuna Kwon, Korea Head of SME, Airwallex. "Having been in the market for some time, we are now in a prime position to deepen our impact. My focus will be on building a high-performing team and strengthening our local partnerships to help Korean businesses navigate the complexities of global finance and expand overseas. With our new licenses in place, we are excited to launch a series of innovative products later this year that will redefine how Korean companies manage money globally."

"We are incredibly excited to have Yuna join us to lead our South Korean operations," said Arnold Chan, APAC General Manager, Airwallex. "Airwallex is here to accelerate the digital transformation journey for Korean businesses, and to support more global companies in entering Korea and operating their businesses successfully. Yuna is a proven leader with a deep understanding of the local ecosystem. I have full confidence that she will take our Korea team to the next level, enhancing our service delivery and ensuring that we are the partner of choice for Korean businesses looking to go global."

Following the successful acquisition and licensing phase completed at the start of the year, Airwallex is scheduled to roll out its core product offerings—including global business accounts and advanced payment acquiring solutions—to South Korean customers later in 2026. With Airwallex, Korean businesses will gain access to a comprehensive platform for managing financial operations in multiple markets and currencies, empowering them to expand and thrive globally.

The Australian-founded company reported an 61% year-on-year increase in revenue and a 78% year-on-year growth in transaction volume in Q1 2026 in the APAC region. Globally, the fintech achieved US$1.2 billion in annualised revenue and US$266 billion in annualised transaction volume in December 2025 – a testament to the growing demand for its trusted solutions and global financial infrastructure.