Two Coins Look Similar, Easily Confused
There Have Been Cases of Misuse Between Past 500 Yen and 500 Won Coins
There have been consecutive reports in Japan of victims receiving 100-won Korean coins instead of 100-yen coins as change. Although the sizes of the two coins differ slightly, their similar appearance seems to have been exploited to cause confusion. On the 27th, various social networking services (SNS) and online communities were filled with stories of people who bought items in Japan and received 100-won coins instead of 100-yen coins as change.
On the 20th, ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 was bustling with travelers preparing to depart. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@
One netizen said, "I went on a trip to Fukuoka and visited a somewhat worn-looking cafe where I was scammed with coins," adding, "I received change that included 100-won coins." He continued, "Most shops in Japan prefer cash payments, so they have many coins, but I never imagined I would fall victim to such a scam," expressing his frustration.
Coin scam victims in Japan are not only tourists but also residents. A Japanese netizen posted a photo on SNS showing 100-yen and 100-won coins together, saying, "I thought something was strange when I received change, and later found that there were coins with Korean writing mixed in," and asked, "How much is 100 won in Japan?" Another netizen replied, "100 won is roughly about 10 yen."
There has been a claim that instead of receiving 100 yen in change in Japan, a 100 won coin was given. [Photo by X (formerly Twitter)]
In the photos released, both the 100-yen and 100-won coins were silver-colored with '100' inscribed on the back. The 100-won coin was slightly larger than the 100-yen coin, but their appearances were similar enough to cause confusion if not examined closely. As of the 27th, the exchange rate is about 885 won to 100 yen, and 100 won converts to approximately 11.29 yen. Since cash payments are common in Japan, when receiving change with multiple coins at once, people often do not check each coin carefully, which seems to be exploited in these scams.
Previously, 500-won coins were illegally circulated as 500-yen coins in Japan. In 1999, 800,000 Korean 500-won coins were found in Japan. This was a case of exploiting Japanese vending machines recognizing 500-won coins as 500-yen coins. The two coins were made to be the same size and material, and by shaving off just 0.5 grams from the Korean 500-won coin, it could be used as a 500-yen coin in Japanese vending machines. As the scale of crimes using vending machines grew, Japanese police launched an investigation and arrested a Chinese organization at the time. However, as misuse cases increased, the Japanese government eventually issued new 500-yen coins in August 2000.
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