Incheon Airport to offer 24-hour unmanned currency exchange service

Incheon International Airport is planning to start offering an unmanned currency exchange service beginning in February 2022.

Dubbed the “unmanned currency exchange zone,” currency exchange machines will be installed in the airport’s Terminal 2 and will be in service 24 hours a day, officials at Incheon International Airport Corporation said on Monday.

IIAC is currently in talks with major banks to introduce the service. Shinhan Bank is on board with the move, according to one IIAC official.

Woori Bank and Hana Bank are also in talks, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The service will be trialed for around two years with plans to extend the service depending on reception.

Other ATMs and currency exchange facilities within the airport will continue to be in operation during the trial period.

The machines will offer users the ability to exchange currency on the spot in addition to the providing the features of regular ATMs where you can collect foreign currency after applying online.

With the new addition to the airport, travelers can now exchange currency at any time without having to make face-to-face contact.

The move comes as 48.7 percent of currency exchanges took place online in 2019, up from 42.3 percent in 2018 and 36.1 percent in 2017, according to data from IIAC.

By Yim Hyun-su (hyunsu@heraldcorp.com)