How to send money to South Korea from Japan with the best JPY-KRW rate

Comparing money transfer companies with services between Japan and South Korea, based on your specific transfer amount and transfer needs, is the best way to send money at the best price.

Here are your best options for sending money from Japan to South Korea

• Wise is the best way to transfer Yen into Won. Sending 1,000,000 JPY to KRW will cost you ¥9956 in fees, and your recipient will receive 9,420,328 KRW. The delivery time usually is within an hour, but it depends on the day you make the transfer.

• Cheapest way to transfer money to South Korea from Japan is via OFX.

• Fastest company to send money to South Korea from Japan is with Revolut. Right now, if you are sending ¥1,000,000 with Revolut to South Korea, the transfer time is within minutes. This can vary depending on your needs, but it's the fastest option.

For this route, we’ve compared 4 providers providing services between Japan and South Korea. This ensures you will get the best options when sending Won to South Korea.

Over the last 7 days, we’ve picked Wise as the best overall provider. However, comparing based on the amount you want to send to South Korea will provide a specific provider that’s best for transferring money from Japan.

The exchange rate is the price you will pay when buying Won in Japan. A better exchange rate means you send more Wons to South Korea.

Currently, the mid-market rate between the Yen and Won is 9.4901.

Ensuring a strong combination of fees and exchange rates ensures the best deal on money transfers from Japan to South Korea.

• The Mid-Market and Exchange Rates: Finding a provider as close to mid-market rate as possible will ensure more Won for your Yen. The current JPY-KRW mid-market rate is 9.4901 KRW per Yen.

• Fees: Money transfer fees are charged on top the exchange rate and can be set, or a percentage of the total amount of Yen you’re sending to South Korea. OFX currently has the lowest fees for transfers into KRW of just 0 JPY. We always recommend searching for your exact send amount for an exact fee.

• Amount Received: The amount received in Won is the biggest indicator of the total cost of sending money to South Korea from Japan. The bigger the amount received in South Korea, the lower the overall cost of sending from Japan.

A better option is to use a forward contract. This allows you to lock in an agreed exchange rate for transfers between Japan and South Korea for a set amount of time, this can be up to two years in some cases.

Sending through a money transfer company via a bank transfer will most often be the way to get the best price when sending money from Japan to South Korea.

Here are all the ways to send money from Japan to South Korea:

Bank transfers

Bank transfers are often the better option for money transfers from Japan to South Korea.

Sending money via a bank transfer with a company such as OFX for transfers from Japan to South Korea allows you to benefit from lower fees and more favorable exchange rates than you would get with a traditional bank. 


Debit and prepaid cards

Sending money from Japan to South Korea with a prepaid or a debit card is very simple with .


is a leader in card payments for transfers from Japan to South Korea, competing among a total of 4 active money transfer companies on this route.

Credit cards

We recommend avoiding credit card deposits as it usually means taking a cash advance and using it for the deposit. Instead, use a bank transfer or a debit card deposit to save on fees.

If you have to, we recommend running a comparison to find the best deal for your transfer.

Money transfer companies offering services between Japan and South Korea have minimum or maximum thresholds on how much you can send or receive. These can be daily, weekly or monthly.

In particular, rates and fees for sending different amounts of Yen could change. We always recommend comparing JPY-KRW rates for your specific transfer amount. Then, with transfers to South Korea, shopping around each time can make a huge difference - as some providers offer introductory rates.

If you’re worried about transfer limits, for sending large amounts of JPY to South Korea, we’d recommend Wise.

There are different options for receiving Won in South Korea. The most popular are direct bank deposit, cash pickup, a mobile wallet or receiving money into a multi-currency account. Not all providers offering transfers from Japan to South Korea will offer every method for incoming Won, so it’s best to check ahead of time.

Sending directly to a bank account is one of the most common ways to send money from Japan into South Korea. For most part, this is because it means the recipient has to do very little. Wise is the best company for bank transfers between Japan and South Korea.

And if you need cash right away, check if cash pickup is an option for transfers between Japan and South Korea.

Mobile wallet services and payment apps like PayPal, Xoom, and CashApp are popular too, but they come with more limitations and higher costs compared to money transfer providers like OFX.

You will need to verify your ID at the sign up stage when sending from Japan to South Korea through a money transfer company.

Documents needed will vary and in some cases you might need a couple of different forms of ID.

ID can be verified in Japan through a government issued ID such as a passport or driver's license. If the recipient needs ID to collect money in South Korea, both of these will also likely be accepted. Depending on the company you are using and where the money is going in South Korea, it’s always best to check ahead just in case.

Larger transactions between Japan and South Korea are likely to be subject to additional checks such as proof of funds for anti-money laundering purposes. This could slow down the process of sending money if you’re not prepared for them.

One of the reasons Wise scored so highly for large and regular transfers to South Korea, was their easy sign up process in Japan.

When sending money between Japan and South Korea there will be tax declarations to consider.

Some transfers into Won may need to be reported to tax authorities in South Korea. This is of particular note where inheritance or property purchases are involved.

Personal allowances and tax limits will change in South Korea based on age, income and personal circumstance. When in doubt, please contact a tax professional in Japan or South Korea to discuss your individual needs. This will ensure you are not missing any specific tax obligations associated with your transfer.