Seoul: South Korea's tax agency has launched a special probe into KB Kookmin Bank, a major lender, financial sources said Thursday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the National Tax Service (NTS) has dispatched investigators to the bank's headquarters in western Seoul to obtain accounting records required for a tax audit. The sources noted that the investigators are part of Investigation Bureau 4 of the NTS' Seoul Regional Tax Office, known in the business community as the "Grim Reaper" for its role in scrutinizing tax evasion by businesses.

The investigation is anticipated to continue until the end of the year. The motives behind the probe have not been disclosed. An official from the tax agency stated, "We cannot confirm information related to tax investigations into individual cases."