Korean Job Discussion Forums

[elaine]

Just a heads up for people travelling to other countries and trying to use your KB international banking ATM card. Apparently it won't work. Korea government or banks have decided that they will freeze transactions made by foreigners in other countries. They want to keep and have Korean money spent in Korea. As if!! This started in December and have left people stranded in other countries without funds. I don't know how to get around this except to change your money into U.S. funds before leaving Korea, unless you already know this and change at the airport or other currency exchange. Has anyone else heard this or experienced this?

[ilovebdt]

Do you mean Kookmin Bank International ATM cards?

If so, I have just returned from a 2 week vacation and I used my KB card both in the UK and Italy several times without any problems at all.

ilovebdt

[jlb]

I have a card from the Nonghyup bank that my mom uses to take out money in Canada and all is still good. She just took out $2000 a couple days ago.

[Hungrypirate]

I haven't tested my KB International card o/s yet, but I was told a similar thing by the bank re foreigners not being able to use them outside of Korea- therefore, it is not really an "international" card!

[spliff]

Used mine in Thailand last week no problem although sh!t rate won - baht...

[lsrupert]

I gave my parents my KB international bank card so they could pull money from my account, and you're right. They can't do it. It's sooo frustrating! Why call it an international card, if you can't use it in other countries?

[tzechuk]

[ilovebdt]

Well, if anyone wants to use their Kookmin International card in the UK, I can guarantee it will work in Natwest cash machines.

ilovebdt

[cazador83]

actually i heard more details about this.

for those of us who already have the Kookmin International ATM card we don't have to worry.

its just that new foreign customers who sign up for a Kookmin account will not be able to get that card anymore. basically has to do with privates and us sending money home, etc.

Either way, from the way I've been told...if you already have the card, you'll be ok and it should work.

I was in Thailand in late December and it worked fine for me.

[hari seldon]

[SweetLou]

my kb international card stopped work abroad in the summer of 2005. how fun that was, cutting short my vacation to japan after about 36 hours.

i came back, yanked my money out of the account, and opened one at keb. why keep your money with people who don't respect the foreign population?

the money sent home via privates, etc, by foreigners is such a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of things...how silly!