KOREAN NET

The Korea Tourism Organization in cooperation with the Korea Easy Payment Foundation (KEPF) and leading mobile payment providers have set up standard QR (quick response) infrastructure for foreign apps for digital payments to boost tourist shopping convenience. (KEPF)

By Margareth Theresia

Mobile payments are a major upgrade at the nation's leading tourist sites ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit slated for October in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) on July 1 said it began setting up standard QR (quick response) infrastructure for simple mobile payments in cooperation with the Korea Easy Payment Foundation and leading mobile payment providers to boost shopping convenience for foreign tourists.

The plan is to build the infrastructure throughout the two Gyeongsang-do provinces focused on Gyeongju, the summit's host city. QR codes will go to about 200,000 affiliated stores by September.

By region, Gyeongsangbuk-do will get 7,000 QR code-enabled stores; Daegu 6,000; Busan 5,700; Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do Province, 1,000; and about 300 at other tourist attractions nationwide.

The codes are based on Zeropay, a domestic platform for mobile app payments, and get linked with 21 foreign counterparts such as PX Pay of Taiwan and Touch n' Go of Malaysia.

This will allow international visitors to pay using the payment apps of their home countries in Korea.

Payment benefits also await such tourists. Discounts launched on July 1 and to run until Dec. 31 are for those using apps with connected standard QR such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Union Pay.

International visitors can also receive 20% off on the spot if they pay at an affiliated merchant with standard QR.

"Standard QR codes have gone to about 50,000 businesses over the past two years. Including Gyeongju, the host city of this year's APEC Summit, and leading tourist sites in the Gyeongsang area, mobile payments can be made at about 70,000 businesses," said Ryu Han Sun, director of the KTO's Shopping and Accommodation Team.

"We will expand our scope from standard QR to near field communication and prepaid cards to make payment and strive harder to raise payment convenience for foreign tourists and stimulate domestic consumption."

margareth@korea.kr