Korean money words, in plain language

Where: Transfer confirmation screens before you send money.

What to do: Confirm that the displayed account holder matches the person or company you intended to pay.

Where: Transfer screens, payroll forms, rent payment instructions, and invoices.

What to do: Check the account holder name before sending money.

Where: Rent, insurance, phone bills, utilities, and subscription payment settings.

What to do: Check payment date, amount, recipient, and cancellation method before setting it up.

Where: Account overview pages, ATM screens, and transaction history.

What to do: Check whether the balance shown is available for transfer or affected by pending transactions.

Where: Account-opening options and ATM-use explanations.

What to do: Ask whether it can make purchases or only ATM transactions.

Where: Seoul subway stations, recharge machines, and the official Seoul guide.

What to do: Worth it mainly if you ride often within Seoul; check the current price and coverage before buying.

Where: Card applications, credit checks, and card payment settings.

What to do: Ask about requirements, billing date, payment account, fees, and overseas use.

Where: Bank account opening, card application, and payment app setup.

What to do: Ask about transport-card function, overseas use, fees, and lost-card reporting.

Where: Loan articles, bank explanations, and housing-loan discussions.

What to do: Ask an official source or financial institution how rules apply to your situation.

Where: Loan policy explanations and housing-loan articles.

What to do: Check official or professional guidance for how it applies in a specific case.

Where: Transaction history, rent payment confirmations, and bank app notifications.

What to do: Check the sender, amount, and memo if you need to confirm a payment.

Where: At card terminals and ATMs at the moment of payment, as a 'pay in your home currency?' prompt.

What to do: Always choose to be charged in KRW (Korean won), not your home currency.

Where: Loan terms, repayment pages, and loan counseling documents.

What to do: Ask whether it applies, how it is calculated, and when it no longer applies.

Where: Loan repayment options and repayment schedules.

What to do: Ask how the first-month payment compares with later payments.

Where: Loan repayment method options and repayment schedules.

What to do: Ask for a repayment schedule and compare the total interest with other methods.

Where: Transfer screens, ATM notices, remittance forms, and card terms.

What to do: Check whether the fee is per transaction, monthly, waived, or charged by another institution.

Where: At airports, convenience stores, subway stations, and bank branches.

What to do: Use a 4-digit PIN, expect a small machine fee, and choose KRW if asked.

Where: Bank visits, account opening, phone plans, and contracts.

What to do: Ask which ID documents are accepted for your status and transaction.

Where: Bank apps, phone verification, government services, and online signup flows.

What to do: Check whether verification requires a Korean phone number, certificate, ID, or app login.

Where: Savings accounts, loans, housing loans, and monthly repayment notices.

What to do: Ask whether interest is calculated monthly, annually, daily, or by another method.

Where: Savings products, loans, housing loans, and rate notices.

What to do: Ask whether the rate is fixed or variable and what conditions affect it.

Where: On prices, receipts, ATM screens, and the currency choice at card terminals.

What to do: At a terminal or ATM, pick KRW so your own bank handles the conversion.

Where: Loan contracts, loan app pages, and monthly repayment schedules.

What to do: Ask whether it is fixed or variable and what review or change dates apply.

Where: Loan contracts, repayment schedules, and bank app loan pages.

What to do: Ask what happens at maturity and whether renewal or full repayment is required.

Where: Housing loan discussions, policy explanations, and bank materials.

What to do: Ask how official rules, property type, region, and personal situation affect the number.

Where: Housing listings, leases, monthly payment notices, and rent discussions.

What to do: Ask what is included, what is separate, and whether utility costs are included.

Where: Bank app signup, certificate issuance, and online services.

What to do: Check whether your phone number name matches your ID and bank records.

Where: Bank app transfer menus and payment screens.

What to do: Confirm account number, account holder, amount, fee, and transfer limit before sending.

Where: Bank visits, hotel stays, immigration, phone service, and some contracts.

What to do: Ask whether passport alone is enough or whether a residence card or Korean address is also needed.

Where: Card bills, loan schedules, lease terms, and app notifications.

What to do: Check whether payment is automatic and what happens if the account balance is low.

Where: Savings and loan product explanations.

What to do: Ask which conditions are required and what happens if you stop meeting them.

Where: Loan balances, repayment schedules, and investment/savings explanations.

What to do: Check whether a payment reduces principal or only covers interest.

Where: Account-opening forms, compliance questions, or remittance forms.

What to do: Prepare a plain explanation such as salary, rent, tuition, living expenses, or family support.

Where: Mobile banking transfer screens.

What to do: Check the receiver shown before confirming a transfer.

Where: Transfer forms, remittance forms, and payment confirmations.

What to do: Confirm recipient name, account number, and purpose before sending.

Where: Bank forms, residence-card records, lease documents, and phone signup.

What to do: Check whether your current address should match your residence card or lease.

Where: Bank account opening, phone registration, housing contracts, and employer paperwork.

What to do: Ask whether the bank or service requires the physical card, issue date, address, or status details.

Where: New account opening, mobile banking limit screens, or account restriction notices.

What to do: Ask what documents are accepted and how to request a limit review later.

Where: Employer onboarding, bank questions, or payroll setup forms.

What to do: Ask your employer which account information they need and when payroll registration closes.

Where: Bank app transfer scheduling screens.

What to do: Confirm the scheduled date and whether you can cancel before it runs.

Where: Transfer forms and transaction history.

What to do: Check whether the sender name is shown correctly if the recipient needs to identify your payment.

Where: Convenience stores (CU, GS25, 7-Eleven), subway station booths and recharge machines, and the airport.

What to do: Buy the card (about 3,000 KRW, non-refundable), then top up with cash; you can refund the remaining balance, minus a small fee, at a convenience store.

Where: Bank app history pages and downloadable statements.

What to do: Use the date, amount, counterparty, and memo fields to match payments.

Where: Bus and subway card readers, fare guides, and your tap history.

What to do: Always tap when you get off a bus too, or you can lose the discount.

Where: Mobile transfer pages, limit setting menus, or account restriction notices.

What to do: Ask whether the limit is per transaction, per day, and whether OTP or extra documents change it.

Where: Debit card applications, convenience stores, transit apps, and mobile wallet settings.

What to do: Ask whether your debit card includes postpaid or prepaid transport-card function.

Where: Transaction history, ATM screens, and account alerts.

What to do: If you do not recognize a withdrawal, contact the bank through official channels.

Where: Bank app exchange menus, airport exchange counters, remittance screens, and rate notices.

What to do: Check the current quote, fee, exchange rate, currency, and transaction type through the official app, page, or branch before exchanging.

Where: Exchange counters, bank apps, transfer apps, and card statements.

What to do: Check whether the rate is a live quote, posted rate, card rate, or estimated rate.

Where: Foreign-currency accounts, exchange counters, and remittance screens.

What to do: Ask which currency the recipient receives and which fees apply.

Where: Bank remittance menus, transfer apps, and foreign-exchange counters.

What to do: Check exchange rate, transfer fee, receiving fee, limits, timing, and recipient details.

Where: Prices, salaries, rent, transfers, and bank statements.

What to do: When converting, check the exact exchange rate and fee used.

Where: International transfer forms and bank app remittance menus.

What to do: Ask which limit applies to your status, purpose, documents, and destination.

Where: Housing listings, lease contracts, and rent negotiations.

What to do: Check payment method, return conditions, registration steps, and professional review options.

Where: Lease protection guides, housing-center instructions, and contract checklists.

What to do: Ask an official office or qualified professional how and when to complete it.

Where: Housing listings, real-estate office discussions, and lease contracts.

What to do: Ask about deposit protection steps, loan interest, maintenance fees, and contract review.

Where: Housing listings and lease contracts.

What to do: Ask whether maintenance fee, utilities, and payment dates are separate.

Where: Housing guides, local office instructions, and lease-protection discussions.

What to do: Ask the local office or qualified professional what applies to your status and address.

Where: Housing listings and lease negotiations.

What to do: Compare deposit size, monthly rent, maintenance fee, and loan interest separately.

Where: Salary comparisons, payslip discussions, and budgeting conversations.

What to do: Ask whether insurance, pension, and other deductions are included in the number.

Where: Job offers, salary descriptions, and payslips.

What to do: Ask what deductions are expected before comparing with take-home pay.

Where: Payslips and payroll explanations.

What to do: Ask payroll what each deduction line means and whether it is required or optional.

Where: Payslips and employer payroll explanations.

What to do: Ask payroll whether it applies to your employment type and status.

Where: Payslips, insurance bills, and employer paperwork.

What to do: Verify coverage and deductions with official sources or payroll.

Where: Payslips, tax forms, and payroll explanations.

What to do: Check official tax guidance or payroll for how it applies to your situation.

Where: Payslips and tax-related documents.

What to do: Ask payroll or check official tax guidance if the amount seems unclear.

Where: Payslips, employer onboarding, and pension guidance.

What to do: Check official National Pension Service guidance and payroll handling for your case.

Where: Job offers, payslips, payroll forms, and bank account-purpose questions.

What to do: Ask whether the number is annual, monthly, gross, or take-home.

Where: Payslips, salary calculators, and budgeting discussions.

What to do: Compare it with gross pay and ask payroll about each deduction line.

Where: Payslips near the final take-home pay line.

What to do: Compare this with individual deduction lines and ask payroll about any unfamiliar item.

Where: Bank app login settings and mobile device authentication.

What to do: Check your fallback login method in case biometric login fails.

Where: Bank app login, transfer confirmation, tax services, certificate menus, and government services.

What to do: Ask which certificate type is required and how recovery works if your phone, ID, or app setup changes.

Where: Bank app login, certificate menus, and online financial services.

What to do: Check setup requirements, expiration, and recovery steps before relying on it.

Where: Bank apps, government services, tax services, and certificate login screens.

What to do: Ask whether the service accepts simpler login methods or requires a certificate.

Where: Card support menus, bank hotline pages, and app emergency menus.

What to do: Use official bank contact channels and ask what is blocked after the report.

Where: Transfer confirmation screens and security-device setup menus.

What to do: Ask whether you need physical OTP, mobile OTP, or another security method for higher limits.

Where: Bank app login, ATM, card, certificate, and transfer screens.

What to do: Never share passwords, certificate passwords, PINs, or one-time codes with callers or message senders.

Where: Signup forms, banking, support requests, and suspicious messages.

What to do: Share only through verified official channels and avoid sending sensitive data through unfamiliar links.

Where: Lost card support, certificate renewal, ID replacement, and app menus.

What to do: Ask what ID is needed, whether there is a fee, and whether the old item is blocked.

Where: Suspicious calls, SMS links, messenger chats, and fake support pages.

What to do: Do not install apps from message links. Verify through official app stores or official support channels.

Where: Older online banking flows or bank explanations about transfer security.

What to do: Ask whether your bank still uses it or recommends mobile OTP instead.

Where: Bank apps, government login pages, and private authentication apps.

What to do: Check whether foreigners can use the method with your phone number and ID status.

Where: Suspicious SMS, messenger apps, and scam warning guides.

What to do: Do not click unfamiliar links; verify through official apps or websites.

Where: Texts, messenger chats, emails, and social posts.

What to do: Avoid entering personal information and visit the official site directly instead.

Where: Police, bank, and financial-supervision scam warnings.

What to do: Pause, do not send money, and verify through official channels you find independently.