On April 23, 2026, in Hanoi, Deputy Governor Pham Tien Dzung of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) attended the ceremony announcing the launch of the Cross-Border QR Payment Service between Vietnam and South Korea. The event was organized by the National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS) in coordination with GLN International, the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), and Hana Bank.
The ceremony marked an important milestone in the connectivity of the retail payment infrastructure between Vietnam and South Korea, while opening up a seamless payment experience amid the growing flow of tourists and bilateral trade between the two countries. Accordingly, from April 23, 2026, South Korean tourists can conveniently use QR codes to make payments when purchasing goods and services in Vietnam.
Deputy Governor Pham Tien Dzung (center) and representatives of NAPAS, BIDV, Hana Bank, and GLN perform the official ceremony to launch the Cross-Border QR Payment Service between Vietnam and South Korea.
To date, all parties have completed system connectivity, integrated payment and settlement infrastructure, and officially put the service into operation. Accordingly, more than 115 million users, including South Korean tourists and people living and working in Vietnam, can use e-wallets and banking applications within the GLN International network to scan VIETQR Global codes and make payments at hundreds of thousands of acceptance points nationwide.
Bilateral transactions are processed quickly, securely, and in real time, offering an experience similar to domestic payments in the South Korean market. In particular, the payment mechanism enables direct settlement in Korean won (KRW) through the settlement infrastructure of Hana Bank and BIDV.
Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, Director General of the SBV Payment Department, delivers remarks at the ceremony.
In 2025, Vietnam welcomed more than 21.2 million international visitors, an increase of 20% compared to 2024. Among them, South Korea was the second-largest source market, with approximately 4.3 million visitors, accounting for 20% of total international arrivals. Meanwhile, the number of Vietnamese tourists traveling to South Korea continued to grow steadily, reaching approximately 550,000 visitors in 2025, up 9% compared to 2024.
According to Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, Director General of the SBV Payment Department, given the impressive figures mentioned above, the connection of cross-border QR payments between Vietnam and South Korea is expected to provide significant convenience in local currency payments for South Korean tourists visiting Vietnam, as well as Vietnamese tourists traveling to South Korea. This initiative also contributes to the objective of promoting cashless payments in both countries.
He further recommended that, in the coming period, NAPAS and relevant South Korean partners accelerate the completion of the payment connection that will enable Vietnamese customers to make payments in South Korea, thereby providing a comprehensive service and maximizing payment convenience for Vietnamese tourists traveling to South Korea.