Overseas Card Spending Hit 33 Trillion Won Last Year...All-Time High for Third Year Running

Overseas card spending by residents reached 22.91 billion dollars last year
Overseas travel demand up, overseas direct purchases via online shopping up
Domestic card spending by non-residents hit a record 14.08 billion dollars

The amount spent on cards overseas last year reached nearly 23.0 billion dollars, breaking the all-time record for the third consecutive year. Analysts attribute this to increased demand for overseas travel and a rise in overseas direct purchases.

According to the Bank of Korea on the 25th, the amount spent abroad last year by residents using cards (credit and debit) was tallied at 22.91 billion dollars (approximately 33.03 trillion won). This represents a 5.19% increase compared with the 21.72 billion dollars spent the previous year.

Since reaching 19.222 billion dollars in 2023, the all-time record for overseas card spending has been renewed for three consecutive years. The amount had climbed to 19.222 billion dollars in 2018, then edged down slightly to 19.12 billion dollars the following year. With the spread of COVID-19 in 2020, it plunged to 10.31 billion dollars, then rose modestly while still under the influence of the pandemic to 12.23 billion dollars in 2021 and 14.543 billion dollars in 2022.

The Bank of Korea identified the increase in the number of outbound Korean travelers, driven by expanding overseas demand, as a key factor behind the record performance. According to the Tourism Knowledge Information System of the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute, the number of outbound Korean travelers increased by 3%, from 28,686,000 in 2024 to 29,550,000 last year.

The value of overseas direct purchases via online shopping also rose by 1%, from 5.92 billion dollars in 2024 to 5.98 billion dollars in 2025.

By card type, overseas spending on credit cards increased by 1.3% year-on-year, from 15.487 billion dollars in 2024 to 15.693 billion dollars, while overseas spending on debit cards grew by 15.7% over the same period, from 6.234 billion dollars to 7.215 billion dollars.

Meanwhile, the amount spent in Korea last year by non-residents using cards reached 14.08 billion dollars, surpassing the previous record of 11.91 billion dollars in 2024 by 18.2% and marking a new all-time high.

According to the Tourism Knowledge Information System of the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, the number of domestic departures increased by 3%, from 28,686,000 in 2024 to 29,550,000 last year. On the 31st, ahead of the New Year's bridge holiday, the duty-free area at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 was crowded with travelers. December 31, 2025 Kang Jinhyung, Reporter