The Seoul Metropolitan Government has announced that 440 new fare machines installed at 273 subway stations spanning eight lines in the city accept credit and debit cards issued abroad. (iClick) *This photo is protected under copyright law and unauthorized reproduction and redistribution are strictly prohibited.

By Yoo Yeon Gyeong

Foreign tourists can now use their credit or debit cards to ride the subway in Seoul.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said 440 new ticket vending machines at 273 stations spanning subway lines No. 1 to No. 8 from March 17 began accepting credit and debit cards issued overseas for fare payment.

The acceptable cards include those of Visa and Mastercard as well as other simply payment systems such as Kakao Pay and Naver Pay.

The city said the measure reduces inconvenience for international travelers who lack cash or need to exchange currency to pay for fares.

dusrud21@korea.kr