KB News Desk
Busan will launch Busan Pay, Korea’s first foreigner-only mobile currency service, to boost local tourism, the city government announced Tuesday, the day before the service’s introduction.
Busan Pay features the city’s local currency payment, a public transport mobile application and a prepaid card.
Any foreign national can use Busan Pay by registering a dedicated prepaid card on the mobile app.
The Busan Pay app can be downloaded on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, and prepaid cards are available at kiosks in Gimhae International Airport, Busan Station and major tourist information centers around the city.
Dongbaekjeon payment, Busan’s local currency named after camellias, the city’s official flower, can be charged with overseas credit cards through a 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.
Notably, the app and Busan Pay website provide tourism information in English, Japanese and Chinese on major tourist destinations, restaurants and tour guides.
Also, Busan Pay features the Visit Busan Pass, which the Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Tourism Organization launched in February to offer 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, costing 49,000 won ($38) and 69,000 won, respectively. It offers free rides on city tour buses, coastal trains and free entrance to over 30 tourist attractions and facilities, 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 that city officials listed based on a two-year study of foreign independent travelers’ preferred itineraries in the city.
Busan Pay also features mobile QR tickets for the city railway, which are 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.
Also, the city offers a one-on-one inquiry service foreign language call center dedicated to Busan Pay and its app.
The city plans to gradually link foreign language menu information service 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, the head of Busan Metropolitan City’s Digital Economy Innovation Office.
