The integration, revealed by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung during a joint announcement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to facilitate smoother cross-border travel and payments by linking India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to South Korea’s local payment infrastructure.
As part of this agreement, Indian travelers in South Korea will be able to use UPI-based QR codes at participating retailers, while South Korean visitors in India can employ their domestic QR payment systems for transactions.
This linkage is anticipated to decrease reliance on cash, currency exchange, and international card transactions, providing a more familiar payment experience for users from both countries. According to Kanishk Agarwal, Chief Technology Officer at Judge Group India, this rollout signifies a larger movement towards interoperable digital payment systems. He highlighted that nearly 200,000 Indian travelers visited South Korea in 2025, showing a 13% increase year-on-year, and emphasized the rising demand for seamless payment solutions alongside increasing travel traffic.
He stated that UPI’s QR-based system minimizes the need for currency exchanges and international card usage, facilitating quicker transactions for users abroad.
Ravi Gosain, president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), mentioned that this integration could enhance payment convenience for outbound travelers and lessen complications related to foreign currency conversions.
He also pointed out that such systems could pave the way for a more interconnected travel payment ecosystem in the future.
Rohit Mahajan, Founder and CEO of plutos ONE, remarked that this development highlights the growing global acknowledgment of India’s digital payments framework.
He added that enabling UPI in South Korea may increase convenience for Indian travelers by reducing dependency on forex and international cards while promoting greater interoperability in cross-border payments.
