Mobile Banking

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A survey shows that one out of four adults uses a mobile payment service in South Korea. However, elderly people don't benefit from the spreading mobile financial service. Here are the details.

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These days, salary workers pull out their mobile phones, instead of credit cards, when paying for coffee.

[Soundbite] "I will help you with the payment."

They can go Dutch even when they have no cash. Daily necessities can be purchased on mobile devices.

[Soundbite] Hwang Mi-ri(Office Worker in her 20s) : "Mobile financial services are even changing my habits, making me wonder if I really need to buy a wallet."

One out of four South Koreans use their mobile phones when paying for something. The number of users has jumped some ten percentage points from a year earlier. Far more people use mobile banking services for financial transactions. Banks are also encouraging the use of mobile services by expanding benefits such as extra interest rates.

[Soundbite] Bae Tae-kwon(Bank Staffer) : "We are offering various services that enable people to conduct almost all financial activities without visiting a bank"

However, the generation gap remains wide. Fewer elderly people use mobile financial services. In particular, they are used by only 13 percent among those in their 60s or older.

[Soundbite] Park Kyung-sun(Customer in his 60s) : "It is not easier than expected to operate the service. I hope that the services can be made more accessible and easier to operate."

Moving forward, it may be necessary to introduce services for elderly customers, such as simplifying identity certification procedures or offering larger-sized fonts.