Busan Transportation Corporation Partners with WeChat Pay to Attract Foreign Tourists

Easily Ride the Metro with WeChat Pay, No Currency Exchange Needed
Enhanced Convenience for Foreign Tourists
First in Korea: QR and Mobile Ticketing System
Integrated with a Global Simple Payment Platform

Busan Transportation Corporation (President Lee Byungjin) announced that, starting April 28, it has officially launched a mobile metro ticketing service for foreign tourists in partnership with WeChat Pay, a global internet technology company operated by Tencent.

Busan Transportation Corporation is holding a commemorative photo after signing a business agreement with WeChat Pay for the "Busan Metro WeChat Pay Service Integration." Photo by Busan Transportation Corporation

This partnership is based on the QR ticket and mobile ticketing systems that the corporation proactively introduced in 2023. It marks the first time in Korea that a metropolitan rail system has been integrated with a global simple payment platform. This integration has significantly lowered the barriers for foreign tourists and has elevated Busan's digital transportation infrastructure to a global standard.

With this service, users can purchase tickets through WeChat Pay, China's leading simple payment platform, and then scan the QR code issued on their mobile device at the ticket gate to board immediately, without any separate ticketing process. This feature greatly improves accessibility to public transportation for Chinese tourists, as it eliminates the need for complicated currency exchange or purchasing transportation cards.

Users can easily issue a mobile ticket via the "Busan Metro Ticket Issuance" menu within the WeChat mini program. The familiar user interface and simple procedures allow for immediate use without language barriers.

To commemorate the official launch, a promotion offering a 30% discount on payments made via WeChat Pay will be held for three months starting from this day. The corporation expects this to increase the influx of Chinese tourists and boost metro usage.

Cece Wang, Head of WeChat Pay for Northeast Asia and Central Asia, said, "It is very meaningful to be able to provide a more convenient smart city experience for Chinese tourists visiting Busan through our collaboration with Busan Transportation Corporation."

Lee Byungjin, President of Busan Transportation Corporation, stated, "This WeChat Pay integration service is a new model for transportation services for foreign tourists, made possible by the QR and mobile ticketing technologies the corporation has developed. We will continue to expand digital transportation services for overseas visitors in the future."