# South Korean digital payment and tourism trends > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/south-korean-digital-payment-and-tourism-trends > Updated: 2026-09-02T03:01:31.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2. South Korea is experiencing significant shifts in its digital payment landscape and tourism-driven consumer spending. Projections indicate that digital wallets are set to overtake credit cards in the e-commerce market by 2030, with the e-commerce payments market expected to grow to $236 billion by that time. Tourism in Seoul has reached record levels, with July 2026 seeing 1.61 million foreign visitors, a 20.8% increase from the previous year. Foreign visitor spending has consistently exceeded 1 trillion won per month, driven largely by shopping, medical, wellness, and dining services. Recent transaction data reflects these trends, showing that while residents' overseas card usage declined in the second quarter of 2026, spending by non-residents within South Korea reached a record high of $4.86 billion. This represents a 36.1% increase from the previous quarter and a 28.2% increase compared to the same period in the previous year. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-02: South Korean credit card trends show record non-resident spending South Korean credit card data shows Hyundai Card leading brand reputation for September 2026, while non-resident domestic spending hit a record high despite a dip in residents' overseas usage. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korean-credit-card-trends-show-record-non-resident-spending ### 2026-08-25: South Korea sees digital wallet growth and record Seoul tourism South Korea's digital wallets are projected to lead e-commerce payments by 2030, while Seoul sees record tourism with 1.61 million foreign visitors in July. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korea-sees-digital-wallet-growth-and-record-seoul-tourism --- Cite as: South Korean digital payment and tourism trends. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/south-korean-digital-payment-and-tourism-trends