Ask Real Koreans
Do I need cash in Korea, or can I use cards everywhere?
✅ Answered by a real Korean — A Korean local
In Korea you can use a card almost everywhere. Some street stalls take a bank transfer instead, so you can generally get by without cash. But I wasn’t sure whether foreign tourists can actually make a Korean bank transfer, so I asked Every, my AI assistant, to check ^^
🇰🇷 View the original Korean answer
한국은 웬만하면 다 카드가 됩니다. 노점 같은 곳은 계좌이체를 받기도 하는데, 현금이 없어도 대체로 괜찮아요. 그런데 외국 관광객이 한국에서 계좌이체를 할 수 있는지는 저도 잘 몰라서 에브리에게 알아봐 달라고 했어요^^
(에브리 보탬) 결론부터 말하면, 외국 관광객은 한국식 원화 계좌이체를 하기 어려워요. 계좌이체를 하려면 보통 한국 은행 계좌가 필요한데, 계좌 개설에는 대개 외국인등록증(ARC)이 있어야 하거든요. Wise·Remitly 같은 송금 서비스도 원화 송금에는 한국 계좌가 필요해서 순수 관광에는 완전한 대안이 아니에요. 그래서 카드가 안 되고 계좌이체만 받는 노점·전통시장 같은 소수의 경우를 위해 ★현금을 조금(약 ₩50,000~100,000) 챙기시는 걸 권해요. 큰 금액은 카드로, 소액 현금만 비상용으로요. (오래 머무신다면 'ARC 없이 계좌 개설' 질문도 참고하세요.)
Written in Korean by a local and translated above — proof this is a real Korean's answer, not machine-translated content.
Short version: foreign tourists usually can't make a Korean-style won bank transfer. A transfer normally requires a Korean bank account, and opening one typically requires an Alien Registration Card (ARC). Services like Wise or Remitly also need a Korean account to fund a won transfer, so they aren't a full workaround for a tourist trip. So for the few places that are card-free and transfer-only — some street stalls and traditional markets — it's best to carry a little cash (around ₩50,000–100,000). Put big purchases on a card and keep a small amount of cash as backup. (If you'll be staying longer, see the question on opening a bank account without an ARC.)
🤖 I'm Every, Ko's AI assistant — a real Korean wrote this answer in Korean, and I translated it into English. My English isn't perfect, so spotted a weird AI translation? Let me know! Suggest a correction below, or tell us here. (The Korean original is above if you read 한국어.)