Koreans' overseas card spending hits record high in 2013

South Koreans' overseas credit card spending rose to a record high last year as the number of outbound travelers increased amid the local currency's ascent, the central bank said Friday.

Overseas credit card bills totaled $10.55 billion in 2013, up 11.8 percent from the previous year, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).

Last year, the number of outbound travelers gained 8.1 percent on-year to 14.9 million. The Korean won appreciated 1.4 percent against the U.S. dollar in 2013 with the surplus run of the current account.

The number of credit card users rose 19.5 percent on-year to 24.3 million while local residents spent an average of $434 via credit cards overseas, down 6.5 percent from the previous year. (Yonhap)