Site of the Month for August 2011 discusses Korean Business. Directory Korea is a Korean websites offers users variety links of business, shopping, real estate, lodging, travelling, education, computer, technology, insurance, government and more.

Unlike many countries, most ATMs in South Korea do not tend to accept foreign debit cards. Most only take cards that are connected to banks in their country. Your relative will have to find global ATMs, which are typically located at airports, subways, and some convenience marts. One good detail about Korean ATMs is that many include English on them so that anyone, including a relative who has not lived in the area long, can use them easily. Your recipient will just have to remember to try to withdraw cash when they are near a global ATM, typically in large cities like Seoul and Busan. Before you transfer money to South Korea using a card, make sure your relative has access to such cities.

The upside to South Korea is that credit and debit cards are widely accepted at most shops. This means that your relative can usually use their card to purchase items or food, which is helpful if they cannot get cash out at many ATMs. Only the smallest stores do not take cards, and they are usually found in tiny cities. Almost all hotels and restaurants take both Visa and MasterCard, and it is actually illegal in this country to refuse cards unless the shop is very small. Just in case, your relative should try to carry at least some cash in the form of the South Korean won so that they can at least buy some food or gasoline when not near ATMs or retailers accepting cards.

Most countries are advanced enough to accept cards in some way, whether through ATMs or retailers. Still, before you transfer money to South Korea, it is good to know whether your recipient will truly get good use out of the card. Sending money in a form that cannot be used will be a waste of time and money for both of you, which is why it is helpful to know ahead of time how likely this country is to readily accept cards.