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Useful Information

Business Hours

Banks

  • Weekday: 09:00-16:00
  • Closed weekends & public holidays
  • * Exceptions: Standard Chartered Bank weekdays 09:30-16:30, EVERRICH Bank weekdays 09:00-16:30 / Closed weekends & public holidays

Government Offices and Organizations

  • Weekdays 09:00-18:00
  • Closed weekends & public holidays

Post Offices

Department Stores

  • * Typically, department stores are closed one day a month, so we recommend checking before visiting

Korea Currency & Exchange Information

Korea’s official monetary unit is the won (￦).

Bills

fifty thousand won
(o-man-won)
ten thousand won
(man-won)
five thousand won
(o-cheon-won)
one thousand won
(cheon-won)

Coins

fifty hundred won
(o-baek-won)
one hundred won
(baek-won)
fifty won
(o-sip-won)
ten won
(sip-won)

Credit Card

Most of the businesses in Korea widely use and accept payment by credit cards, including at major hotels, department stores, and general shops. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and other credit cards can be used; however check the service availability before making purchases as some stores may not provide this service.

Money Exchange

When you need to exchange your foreign currency into Korean won, visit a bank or authorized exchange service center. Banks are generally open 09:00-16:00 on weekdays. Operating hours may vary depending on the bank and region, please check in advance prior to visiting. Korea Post Bank operates 09:00-16:30. Please be aware that money exchange of old currency may not be accepted at certain locations. Make sure to check if banks or authorized exchange service centers accept old currency beforehand.

Currency Converter

www.xe.com/currencyconverter (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Swedish, Arabic, Dutch)

Source: Korean Currency, VISIT KOREA

Electricity & Communication

Electricity and Voltage

The standard voltage in Korea is 220 volts at 60 Hertz, and the outlet has two round holes. If you do not have a multi-voltage travel adapter, you may ask to borrow or purchase one from your hotel’s front desk. You can also find them at the airport, retail stores, major duty-free shops, and even convenience stores.

Roaming services of major network carriers

SIM Card Purchase (Korea SIM card)

Travelers can purchase a SIM card to insert into their personal cell phone device to enjoy unlimited data or receive a personal number while traveling in Korea. These prepaid SIM cards usually cost less than roaming services and offer unlimited data for a period of 1 to 90 days. The SIM cards can be purchased at CU convenience stores in Incheon International Airport, 7-Eleven stores in Seoul, Busan, Jeju and other major cities and Korea SIM Card’s official website. For convenience, travelers are recommended to make a purchase in advance online or at the airport.

[SIM Card Retail Locations]

Internet Access

In Korea, the Internet is easily accessible through the free public Wi-Fi service available in most public locations such as airports, subways stations, train stations, and certain bus stops. PC rooms and coffee shops are also great places to go. PC rooms are mostly open 24 hours.

Public Wi-Fi: www.wififree.kr (Korean, English)

Source: Electricity & Communications, VISIT KOREA

Useful APPs

If you’re used to using Google Maps, you’ll find that it’s not fully functional in South Korea. For the most accurate information, it’s recommended to download Korean apps when traveling in Jeju. Many apps have English options, and they are quite easy to use. For a map application for navigation and directions, try KakaoMap and NAVER Map. If you are planning on using public transportation, there’s a bus layer that you can toggle on in KakaoMap that will show you where buses are in real-time.

Ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft also do not exist here, but you’ll find that taxis are just as easy to grab while being quite affordable. The Kakao T app is a really easy and convenient way to call a cab right to where you are located. Naver Papago – AI Translator is a good, reliable Korean-English translation app that offers image translation as well as conversation translation.

[Photo source: Visit Jeju : Useful Jeju Travel Information]

Helpful Services

Emergency Calls

  • Police Department: +82-112
  • Fire Department: +82-119
  • Medical Emergencies: +82-119
  • Infectious Disease Emergencies: +82-1339

1330 Korea Travel Hotline

  • Tel: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian)
  • Website: www.visitkorea.or.kr (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, French, Spanish, German, Russian)

Diplomatic Missions in Korea

LOST 112 (Lost and Found Center)

Local Telephone Directory (Assistance)

Source: Emergency Situations, VISIT KOREA