KOREA TRAVEL BASICS · PART 3 This article is written in English. A Korean translation is available at the end of the post. Information checked: September 11, 2026 Cash or Card in Korea photo by koreadaybook Cash or Card in Korea? Money, ATMs and Currency Exchange Guide If this is your first trip to South Korea, you may be wondering how much cash you should bring. Will your foreign credit card work? Should you exchange money before arriving? Can you withdraw Korean won from an ATM? And do you still need cash in a country where almost everyone seems to pay by card? The short answer is simple. Korea is very card-friendly, but you should still carry some Korean won. Most hotels, department stores, restaurants, cafés, convenience stores and regular shops accept credit or debit cards. Visa, Mastercard, American Express and other major international cards can be used at many businesses. However, cash remains useful for transportation-card recharging, some traditional markets, smaller bus...