[Edaily Reporter An Yu-ri ] DANAL CO., LTD.(064260)announced on the 5th that the transaction volume for “WeChat Pay Offline QR Payments,” a service provided in partnership with Tencent, reached a record high in the first half of this year, rising 62.7% year-over-year as the number of Chinese visitors to South Korea increased.

WeChat Pay Offline QR Payments allow Chinese tourists visiting Korea to conveniently make payments at major DANAL CO., LTD. partner locations—including convenience stores, beauty shops, and franchise outlets—using the same app they use back home. DANAL CO., LTD. cited the increase in Chinese tourists, coupled with a significant rise in their use of domestic convenience stores, as the main factors behind this rise in transaction volume.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea in the first half of 2026 exceeded 10.71 million, a 21.3% increase from the previous year. In particular, Chinese tourists—who account for the largest share—totaled 3.21 million, up 27.1% year-over-year, while total card spending by foreign tourists reached 10.0389 trillion won, marking a 50.8% increase.

Building on its first-half performance, DANAL CO., LTD. is diversifying its network of partner stores accepting WeChat Pay offline QR payments. Recently, the company has signed numerous franchise agreements with “unmanned arcade” stores, which have become a popular form of entertainment, particularly among younger generations. As more foreign tourists visiting Korea are experiencing these unmanned stores, the company expects to steadily expand its network of partner stores in the future. In addition, DANAL CO., LTD. plans to expand its payment channels into various sectors—including shopping, transportation, and healthcare and wellness—to comprehensively support foreign tourists’ everyday experiences in Korea.

Its new business venture—a physical card service for foreign tourists—has also successfully established itself in the market. “K.ONDA,” a prepaid card exclusively for foreign visitors launched last July, has improved accessibility by installing dedicated kiosks in must-visit commercial districts for foreign tourists, such as Gangnam, Myeongdong, Euljiro, Seongsu, and Hongdae. In particular, it is generating buzz within foreign communities even before arrival, thanks to its unique integration of key functions essential for foreign visitors to Korea, including online shopping, food delivery app orders, transit cards, and ATM withdrawals.

Transaction volumes for tuition payments by international students at Korean universities—a service provided in partnership with Shinhan Bank—have also risen significantly. Year-over-year growth rates were recorded at 81.5% for WeChat QR and 133.2% for PayPal; in particular, WeChat QR—which is primarily used by Chinese students—saw a much sharper increase compared to the 47.3% growth rate recorded in 2025.

Furthermore, with the addition of “ZaloPay”—Vietnam’s leading mobile payment service—for tuition payments this year, the total transaction volume is expected to grow even further. Given that Chinese international students rank first and Vietnamese students second among foreign students residing in Korea, this development is significant as it solidifies Danal’s competitive edge in providing tailored services to these groups. The number of partner universities has also more than tripled in just three years—from 30 in 2023 to 94 currently—and a steep upward trend is anticipated.

A DANAL CO., LTD. official stated, “DANAL CO., LTD. has been proactively introducing WeChat Pay services in Korea in partnership with Tencent since 2015, and thanks to the era of 20 million foreign tourists visiting Korea, our major services are all showing an upward trend,” adding, “We will continue to expand our customized payment services to encompass not only foreign tourists and international students but also foreign workers.”