"I Don’t Go to Restaurants": Foreign Tourists Hooked on 'K-Delivery' as Soon as They Arrive in Korea

Foreign Tourist Orders See Steep Rise
A Delivery Environment Without Language or Payment Barriers

"K-Delivery" has emerged as a new travel content trend among foreign tourists visiting South Korea. It is now common to see foreign visitors ordering food via domestic delivery applications (apps) and enjoying summer nights in Seoul at places like Hangang Park. Delivery app operators are also actively lowering usage barriers and ramping up marketing targeted at foreigners to respond to the increasing number of orders from overseas visitors.

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According to Woowa Brothers on August 6, the number of payments made by foreigners through Baemin in the second quarter of this year increased by approximately 370% compared to the same period last year. This growth rate is even steeper than the roughly 300% year-on-year increase seen in December last year. Transaction volume also rose at a similar pace. The company explained that this surge is due to the growing number of food orders placed by foreign tourists visiting Korea recently. An industry official said, "Positive reactions to the convenience of Korea's delivery system and the quality of delivery food are being shared among tourists, leading to a substantial increase in food delivery orders from foreign visitors."

Enhancing the app environment to make food delivery easier for foreign tourists has also contributed to the increase in orders. From the beginning of this year, Baemin has been offering multilingual services in English, Chinese, and Japanese. In addition, foreigners can register using either a Korean phone number or a foreigner registration number. Even without signing up, one-time orders are available by simply verifying with an international phone number via SMS. The service has been streamlined so that anyone can easily place an order. Payment options also now include overseas credit cards as well as global payment methods such as WeChat Pay, Alipay, and Apple Pay. Baemin plans to further enhance convenience by expanding its payment options in the future.

Baemin is also running a K-Delivery cultural experience campaign for foreign tourists in collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Government throughout August. During this period, special zones will operate around Yeouido and Ttukseom Hangang Parks to allow food to be enjoyed late at night, as well as dedicated night delivery zones that facilitate easy rider access and efficient food pickup. Baemin will provide a dedicated promotion page accessible via QR codes at the event sites, along with a variety of information and discount coupons. Seokjun Yoon, Head of Brand Communication Strategy at Woowa Brothers, said, "We will continue to enhance our services so that foreign tourists can enjoy delicious Korean food more easily through the Baemin app."

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This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.