Busan has launched Busan Pay, Korea’s first mobile currency service exclusively for foreign tourists, aimed at boosting local tourism.
Busan Pay combines the city’s local currency payment system, a public transport mobile application, and a prepaid card. Foreign nationals can use Busan Pay by registering a prepaid card on the mobile app.
The Busan Pay app is available for download on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Prepaid cards can be obtained at kiosks located in Gimhae International Airport, Busan Station, and major tourist information centers around the city.
Dongbaekjeon payment, named after Busan’s official flower, the camellia, is the city’s local currency. This currency can be charged with overseas credit cards via the mobile app and offers numerous cashback benefits.
Busan Pay can be used to make payments at large shopping malls and duty-free shops without cashback benefits. The app and Busan Pay website also provide tourism information in English, Japanese, and Chinese on major tourist destinations, restaurants, and tour guides.
Busan Pay features the Visit Busan Pass, launched earlier this year by the Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Tourism Organization. It offers discounts to lesser-known and must-visit restaurants and tourist attractions.
The pass, available only to foreign visitors, is valid for either 24 or 48 hours after purchase. It costs 49,000 won ($38) and 69,000 won, respectively, and provides free rides on city tour buses, coastal trains, and free entry to over 30 tourist attractions, including Songdo Marine Cable Car and Lotte World Adventure Busan.
The pass also offers discounts at 77 foreigner-friendly facilities, including restaurants and souvenir shops, based on a two-year study of foreign travelers’ preferred itineraries in the city.
Busan Pay also features mobile QR tickets for the city railway, available in one-day and three-day passes. Busan Pay cards can be used as transportation cards for buses and taxis and are issued at designated Busan Bank branches.
Additionally, the city offers a one-on-one inquiry service through a foreign language call center dedicated to Busan Pay and its app. The city plans to gradually link foreign language menu information services to Busan Pay later this year.
“Busan Pay is expected to contribute to the development of the Busan tourism industry by providing not only local currency payment but also various services to foreign visitors. The city will develop it to establish itself as a convenient tourism platform without language barriers,” said Shin Chang-ho, head of Busan Metropolitan City’s Digital Economy Innovation Office.
