Hey everyone, I’ll be talking to you about the importance of cash in korea. This is a tip for travellers and tourists if it is your first time here in korea.
South Korea is a modern country, with exciting culture and food. Credit cards, debit cards, and cash are all accepted without issue in South Korea, with cash becoming less common.
Although most cards are accepted here, there will be times where it may not work as I have experienced. It can be quite a frustrating and embarrassing moment when that happens so cash is always handy no matter where you go.
The most important places you need cash for are street markets and street food places. As soon as you start walking along and want to buy something, they only accept cash. So if you want to try a lot of street food, here’s a reminder to always bring cash with you. And sometimes you can bargain with the owners if you are shopping as they really prefer cash over cards.
As for any activities you want to do, cash is handy for arcades but sometimes they do accept cards. As well as for photo booths in Korea which are really popular here, you most likely need cash in order to take pictures and in some cases, they will take cards.
Where to exchange?
You can exchange cash in Korean banks here that offer foreign exchange and no commission is taken, you just need to bring your passport with you. You can also exchange it at the airport when you arrive or you can exchange beforehand in your country; however, the exchange rates are much better in Korea so don’t worry if you were not able to exchange beforehand as they are many options in Korea.