An increasing number of mobile payment options are appearing on the market.
But how widely are they being used in Korea,... a country known for its high Internet rates...
and early adoption of mobile technology?
Kwon Jang-Ho looks at the numbers.
Instead of reaching for the wallet, more and more people are pulling out their phones when
approaching the payment counter.
A recent survey conducted by the Bank of Korea found that one in six adults are now using
mobile payment services for both online and offline purchases.
It's a relatively new trend that's come with the rise of smartphones and digital wallet
services, such as Samsung and Apple Pay.
Over half of users said they had only started using mobile payment options within the last
year.
Among them... 44-percent said they use the service up to three times a month, and 23-percent
up to twice a week.
Industry data shows over 5-billion U.S. dollars worth of shopping was done on mobile phones
with mobile payment services in the third quarter of 2015, up 58% percent from the previous
year.
Mobile banking is also widely used these days.
There are over 60 million mobile banking accounts in Korea... and according to the central bank's
survey, nearly half of respondents used the services at least twice a week.
But there are still many who've chosen not to make the digital leap.
When asked why, they cited personal data leaks, mistrust of safety features, and mistaken
transactions as their biggest concerns.
A Bank of Korea official said more will need to be done to make Internet banking more convenient
and safe... so more consumers feel comfortable in adopting the services.
Kwon Jang-Ho, Arirang News.