1,769 ATMs Disappeared Last Year... 896 Reduced in Seoul Alone

Assemblyman Yoon Kwan-seok: "Cash Access Gap Between Regions Must Be Reduced from an Inclusive Finance Perspective"

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Sun-mi] As cash usage declines, it was found that 1,769 automated teller machines (ATMs) nationwide disappeared last year. In Seoul alone, nearly half, 896 ATMs, were removed.

According to the 'ATM Installation Status by Metropolitan City and Province' received by National Assembly member Yoon Kwan-seok of the Political Affairs Committee from the Bank of Korea on the 23rd, 1,769 ATMs nationwide disappeared last year. Among them, 896 ATMs disappeared in Seoul, followed by 417 in Busan, 179 in Gyeonggi, 176 in Incheon, and 155 in Daegu.

However, regional disparities remain significant. As of the end of last year, the number of ATMs installed per unit area (1㎢) was highest in Seoul at 34.9 units. This was followed by Busan with 9.1 units, Gwangju 6.6 units, Daejeon 6.1 units, Daegu 5.9 units, Incheon 5.6 units, Ulsan 2.7 units, Gyeonggi 2.7 units, and Jeju 1.1 units. Other regions were Gyeongnam 0.8 units, Chungnam 0.7 units, Chungbuk 0.6 units, Jeonbuk 0.5 units, Gyeongbuk 0.4 units, Jeonnam 0.4 units, and Gangwon 0.3 units.

The number of ATMs installed per unit area decreased slightly from 36.4 units in Seoul in 2019 to 34.9 units in 2020, narrowing the gap with Gangwon, which has 0.3 units, but the regional disparity still remains substantial at 116 times.

Assemblyman Yoon Kwan-seok stated, “Financial authorities should devise efficient utilization plans for ATM resources from the perspective of inclusive finance to reduce the gap in cash access rights between regions,” adding, “For this, close consultation with the Bank of Korea, financial institutions, and VAN companies is necessary.”