No More Wads of 10,000 Won Notes..앗싸!

If you're a bit of a high roller like myself, then you've been agitated time and again trying to squeeze your wallet full of 10,000 won notes into your jeans.


Well, it seems the 50,000 won note will finally soon be with us. Just in time for my return to Korea! Yep, when I arrive back in Korea in 10 days I'll go to the ATM and get a nice crisp mini wad of 50,000 won notes and slip them into my wallet and the easily slip my wallet into my pants like a ummm...ahh a wallet with 10 50,000 notes instead of 50 10,000' notes..yeah.

With the bill’s release, “the retail industry is expecting an overall change in consumer spending and purchasing patterns, which will bring an increase in department store sales,” says Lee Jae-jin from Shinsegae.

Circulation of the new 50,000 won bill, due June 23, is likely to revive consumer spending, an official at the Federation of Korean Distribution predicted.

I like the logic in this. Since less notes are leaving the wallet people can spend more? Hooray!

I can also forego the dubious look vendors give when getting 100,000 or 1,000,000 won bank check from a 외국인.