What changed in GLN International’s QR payment service for foreign tourists in Korea?

GLN International expanded the service by partnering with Coocon and adding 500,000 merchants. The company said the domestic network now covers about 1.5 million merchants nationwide, giving foreign tourists broader QR payment access in Korea.

Which foreign visitors can now use GLN International’s QR payment service in Korea?

Tourists from Taiwan were already served, and GLN said visitors from the United States, Canada and Singapore can now pay using major banking or fintech apps from their home countries. The company also said it plans to add Vietnam and Mongolia later this year.

Where is GLN International’s expanded QR payment coverage available in Seoul?

The expanded coverage goes beyond major tourist areas in Seoul, Busan and Jeju Island and now reaches neighborhood shopping districts such as Myeong-dong and Seongsu-dong in Seoul. GLN said the QR payment system lets users scan a merchant’s code and pay directly without a physical card or currency conversion in advance.

GLN International expands QR payment access for foreign tourists

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Summary

GLN International is expanding its QR payment service for foreign tourists visiting Korea through a partnership with Coocon, adding 500,000 merchants and raising its domestic network to about 1.5 million merchants nationwide. The service now covers more areas in Seoul beyond major tourist zones, and tourists from the United States, Canada and Singapore can use it with major banking or fintech apps from home. GLN said it will add Vietnam and Mongolia later this year.

Key Facts

The partnership with Coocon, the operator of the city-backed Seoul Pay platform, adds 500,000 merchants to GLN International’s QR payment service.
GLN said its domestic QR payment network now covers about 1.5 million merchants nationwide.
The expanded service reaches neighborhood shopping districts such as Myeong-dong and Seongsu-dong in Seoul, beyond tourist areas in Seoul, Busan and Jeju Island.
Tourists from Taiwan were already covered, and visitors from the United States, Canada and Singapore can now use the service through major banking or fintech apps from their home countries.
GLN plans to add Vietnam and Mongolia later this year.

By Jhoo Dong-chan

Published Aug 7, 2026 1:00 pm KST

GLN International, a fintech subsidiary of Hana Bank, said Friday it is expanding its QR payment service for foreign tourists visiting Korea, adding 500,000 merchants through a partnership with Coocon, the operator of the city-backed Seoul Pay platform.

The tie-up brings GLN's domestic QR payment network to about 1.5 million merchants nationwide, extending coverage beyond major tourist areas in Seoul, Busan and Jeju Island to neighborhood shopping districts such as Myeong-dong and Seongsu-dong in Seoul.

QR payment lets users scan a merchant's code with their own banking or fintech app to pay directly, without needing a physical card or converting currency in advance.

GLN said tourists from Taiwan, which it already served, will be joined by visitors from the United States, Canada and Singapore, who can now pay using major banking or fintech apps from their home countries. The company plans to add Vietnam and Mongolia later this year.

"We hope this expansion will make traveling in Korea more convenient for the growing number of foreign tourists," GLN International CEO Lee Seok said, adding the company will keep offering innovative payment services to give both domestic and international customers the best possible experience.

GLN, spun off from Hana Bank in 2021, offers QR payment and cash withdrawal services in 15 countries across Asia, including Vietnam, China, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos, Japan and Indonesia, with access to more than 230 million QR merchants worldwide.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

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