Overseas Card Spending by Korean Residents Hits Record $5.93 Billion in Q3

(Seoul=Yonhap Infomax) Seon Mi Jeong – Overseas card spending by South Korean residents reached an all-time high in the third quarter of this year.

According to data released by the Bank of Korea on the 25th, South Korean residents spent $5.93 billion on overseas transactions using credit and debit cards in Q3 2025, marking a 7.3% increase from the previous quarter.

This figure surpassed the previous record of $5.71 billion set in the third quarter of last year.

The Bank of Korea attributed the surge primarily to increased demand for overseas travel during the summer vacation period, while direct overseas online purchases remained at similar levels to the previous quarter.

Direct overseas online shopping purchases edged down 1.2% to $1.53 billion in Q3, compared to $1.55 billion in Q2.

The number of South Korean outbound travelers rose 4.8% to 7.093 million in Q3, up from 6.767 million in Q2.

By card type, both credit and debit card spending increased, up 7.4% and 7.3% respectively from the previous quarter.

Non-residents (foreigners) spent $3.76 billion using cards in South Korea during Q3, a level similar to the record $3.79 billion posted in Q2.

The number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea climbed to 5.26 million in Q3, compared to 4.96 million in Q2. However, average spending per card declined slightly from $210 to $201.

smjeong@yna.co.kr

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