A friend of mine is planning to travel to Korea and is wondering if it is possible to withdraw money in Korean ATMs using a foreign bank card. I know that the ATMs where you can use a foreign card are very limited. In Jeju, the only place I know of is the KAL hotel. Has anyone withdrawn money from ATM's at other locations? And are the ATM fees high?
Withdrawing Money from Korean ATMs with a Foreign Bank Card
Submitted by prey4wind on 10 February 2007 - 10:10am.Tags:
ATMs
I know that there are some ATMs that are designated as "global" and supposedly can take foreign cards (mostly AmEx, Visa, or MasterCard). These machines are at main branches of banks (Nong Hyeop has them too). I've tried using them before, but for some reason, they don't recognize my card. Could be that I'm in a small town, but my father said that he couldn't withdraw any money in Busan either.
Korean ATM Machines and Foreign ATM Cards
As in Japan, regular bank ATM machines are not on the international system and you cannot use international ATM card to withdraw money. As Ogedei said, there may be international ATM machines at a bank's main branch but this will most likely only be the case in a large city.
To withdraw money with your ATM card you need to go to special 'international ATM machines' that are on the same computer system as the international ATM system. These machines can be found in big hotels that have a large international clientele.
Another option for withdrawing money from your ATM card is to go to a international bank branch, such as Citibank. Their ATM machines are connected to the international system and you should be able to withdraw money from them.
As for the charges, I am not sure exactly what they are. The machine itself shouldn't charge more than $2 or $3 at most. However, you should check with your bank to see what they charge for using your ATM card in another country. Some places charge as much as $35.
i was able to withdraw money
i was able to withdraw money using my canadian bank card at an atm in a family mart. it looked like the ones you see in malls in canada... they aren't connected to any bank but are privately owned... i did once try at several banks in cheongju and was unsuccessful... in seoul a friend of mine had no problem with her american card at the keb. fees vary depending on your bank at home... beware and find out first - my bank in canada charges 5$ for the international transaction and then another 3-5$ for the use of the network...
lizm :)
http://documentarist.blogspot.com
Itaewon ATM
You can do it at the ATM in Itaewon train station (by the exit), providing you remember your pin number, which I spectacularly failed to do.