Learn essential Korean money and banking vocabulary — currency exchange, ATMs, bank accounts, and payment phrases — for living in or visiting Korea.
Whether you're exchanging money at the airport or opening a bank account to live in Korea, money vocabulary is essential practical Korean that goes beyond simple shopping phrases.
| Korean | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| 원 | won | Korean won (currency) |
| 돈 | don | money |
| 현금 | hyeongeum | cash |
| 카드 | kadeu | card |
| 잔돈 | jandon | change (coins) |
| 환전 | hwanjeon | currency exchange |
| Korean | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| 은행 | eunhaeng | bank |
| 계좌 | gyejwa | bank account |
| 통장 | tongjang | bankbook/passbook |
| 입금 | ipgeum | deposit |
| 출금 | chulgeum | withdrawal |
| 이체 | iche | transfer |
| 비밀번호 | bimilbeonho | PIN/password |
Korea is highly card- and app-payment friendly — most places accept card even for very small purchases, and mobile payment apps like Kakao Pay and Naver Pay are extremely common. Carrying some cash is still useful for smaller traditional markets and some street food stalls.
Can foreigners easily open a Korean bank account? It's possible but often requires an Alien Registration Card (ARC), so short-term visitors typically rely on cash and international cards instead.
Is tipping expected in Korea? No — tipping is not part of Korean culture and is not expected at restaurants, taxis, or hotels.
Practical vocabulary like this is exactly what makes real life in Korea manageable. Klovers' courses combine grammar with these everyday survival topics so you're prepared, not just conversational.