With bank branches expected to delay their opening time from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. starting next April, fierce backlash is growing among financial consumers who are already experiencing inconvenience due to a decrease in the number of branches and long waiting times.

Previously, labor and management in the financial sector tentatively agreed on a negotiation proposal centered on a 3 percent wage increase and a 30-minute reduction in operating hours.

If the tentative proposal is finalized, starting next April, bank branches will open at 9:30 a.m., 30 minutes later than currently, and close at 4 p.m.

Online communities are overflowing with complaints that customer inconvenience will only worsen if operating hours are shortened at a time when branches have already been reduced.

In particular, critics pointed out that office workers will have to skip lunch or even use annual leave just to handle banking tasks, making banks precious places that require taking paid leave to visit.

One community user noted that while improving working conditions for bank employees is necessary, measures to enhance customer convenience should also be prepared together, asking if weekend operations would be out of the question.

Another netizen expressed frustration, asking what customers are supposed to do when they already have to wait for hours to handle banking tasks, only for counter operating hours to be reduced as well.

Complaints also emerged that even when visiting a bank during lunchtime, some employees are away from their desks, leading to even longer waiting times.

Opinions were also raised that instead of reducing operating hours, staffing should be increased or shift work should be introduced.

Reactions expressing concern over the trend of expanding non-face-to-face and AI services alongside decreasing operating hours continued.

One netizen criticized the situation, pointing out that AI is being presented as an alternative to the reduction of physical branches and operating hours, and questioning whether customer service centers where customers end up angry after going through AI consultations or chatbots that cannot answer properly are true alternatives.

On the other hand, some opinions suggested that there are no major problems with shortening operating hours since a significant portion of banking tasks can be handled non-face-to-face.

(Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by Ryu Ji-su | Design by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News)