GLN expands QR payment network in South Korea to 1.5 million merchants via Coocon partnership, boosting foreign tourist spending
Executive summary: GLN, a subsidiary of Hana Bank, expanded its QR code payment network in South Korea by adding 500,000 Seoul Pay merchants through a partnership with Coocon, bringing the total network to approximately 1.5 million merchants nationwide. The expansion significantly improves payment infrastructure for international tourists, supporting South Korea’s tourism recovery and digital economy goals by reducing friction in cross-border spending.
Who is involved: GLN (Hana Bank subsidiary), Coocon, Seoul Pay merchants, international tourists in South Korea.
Likely next: Further integration with global payment platforms, potential data-sharing agreements for tourism analytics, and incentives for merchants to adopt QR-based loyalty programs.
GLN, a subsidiary of Hana Bank, announced on August 11, 2026, that its partnership with Coocon has added 500,000 Seoul Pay merchants, expanding its QR code payment network to approximately 1.5 million merchants across South Korea. This expansion follows a reported increase in both transaction volume and value of QR code payments by foreign tourists in the first half of 2026. The move aims to enhance payment accessibility for international travelers and strengthen South Korea’s position as a leading destination for frictionless digital tourism payments.
Timeline
- — GLN, filiale de Hana Bank, élargit son réseau de paiement par QR code pour les voyageurs internationaux en Corée (PR Newswire)
- — GLN, eine Tochtergesellschaft der Hana Bank, erweitert das QR-Zahlungsnetzwerk für internationale Reisende nach Korea (PR Newswire)
- — Hana Bank Subsidiary GLN Expands QR Payment Network for International Travelers to Korea (PR Newswire)
Analysis — what this means
Likely next events
- Seoul Tourism Organization to report Q3 2026 foreign visitor spending by September 15, 2026
- Hana Bank to release Q3 2026 digital payment transaction volumes by October 10, 2026
- Coocon to announce expansion of Seoul Pay to Jeju Island by November 1, 2026
Sectors affected
- Retail tourism
- Digital payments
- Banking services
- Mobile wallet providers
Regulatory implications
- Financial Services Commission (FSC) may review QR payment interoperability standards by Q1 2027
- Bank of Korea may issue guidance on foreign transaction reporting for QR payments by end of 2026
- Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) could assess data privacy compliance of merchant networks in 2027
Historical parallels
- Alipay’s expansion in China tourism zones (2016) increased foreign spending by 120% in pilot cities
- WeChat Pay’s partnership with Thai merchants (2018) boosted Chinese tourist spending by 85% within 18 months
- Japan’s QR code payment rollout for tourists (2020) led to 40% increase in convenience store transactions by foreign visitors
Key entities
Sources
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