Short answer: you need less cash than you think, but not none.
Korea is one of the most card-friendly countries anywhere. Card payment is normal for amounts that would get you a strange look elsewhere: a single coffee, a bottle of water, a short taxi ride. But there are a few specific situations where cash is still the answer, and they tend to be exactly the situations visitors walk into.
Where cards work
Essentially everywhere with a till: convenience stores, cafés, restaurants, department stores, supermarkets, chain shops, taxis, hotels, cinemas. Contactless is common. Foreign Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted.
Where you still want cash
| Situation | Why |
|---|---|
| Traditional markets | Many stalls are cash-only, and some give a better price for cash |
| Street food | Small vendors, often cash or domestic transfer only |
| Topping up a T-money card | Machines take notes, not foreign cards |
| Small independent shops | Occasionally cash-only, especially outside big cities |
| Coin lockers, some vending machines | Older machines take cash only |
| Temples, small entry fees | Sometimes cash |
The T-money one catches almost everyone. It is the first thing you buy and the one thing that reliably wants cash.
How much to carry
Enough for a day of small purchases, not enough to worry about losing. Top up from an ATM when you run low rather than changing a large amount at the airport. Korea is a very low-crime country for casual street theft, but there is still no reason to walk around with a thick wallet.
Getting cash
ATMs are everywhere, including inside every convenience store. Not all of them accept foreign cards, so look for machines marked Global or displaying your card network’s logo. Bank ATMs and airport ATMs are the safest bet.
Airport exchange counters are convenient but rarely the best rate. Withdrawing from an ATM with a card that has low foreign fees is usually better. Change a small amount at the airport if it makes you comfortable, then use ATMs after that.
Watch the “pay in your own currency” prompt. If a card machine or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency instead of Korean won, decline it and pay in won. The convenience rate is worse than your bank’s.
A note on domestic-only payment
You will see payment methods that visitors cannot use, such as apps and QR systems tied to Korean bank accounts or phone numbers. Do not worry about them. Every place that takes those also takes a card, cash, or both.
What to do in your first hour
- Withdraw a modest amount at an airport ATM (look for Global)
- Buy a T-money card at a convenience store, in cash
- Load it with a few days’ worth
- Use your card for everything else
That is the whole system. After that, cash becomes an occasional thing rather than something you have to plan around.