Source: Korea JoongAng Daily

What happened

Seoul’s city government has signed an agreement with Baedal Minjok, known as Baemin, to make the food-delivery platform more accessible and better known to foreign visitors. Korea JoongAng Daily reported that the partnership aims to expand culinary tourism and support the local economy by improving visitors’ access to delivery services.

The relevant access changes are already in place rather than being launched from zero by this agreement. Baemin allows orders through non-Korean phone numbers. The platform began accepting overseas-issued credit cards in July 2022, added Alipay and WeChat Pay in September 2025, and began accepting foreign credit cards registered on Apple Pay this May. The city will promote awareness of those options; Baemin says it will keep improving features using feedback the city gathers.

The breakdown

The agreement addresses a practical barrier that previously kept many inbound tourists from using the service: Baemin’s verification process had required a domestic phone number and rejected overseas credit cards. The arrangement combines access, communication, and feedback; it does not promise that every visitor can order everywhere.

The first visible test is a month-long outdoor program called “Night+Camping,” also referred to as “Hangangbamping.” From Aug. 1 through Aug. 31, users will be able to order food through the Baemin app in designated areas at Yeouido Han River Park and Ttukseom Han River Park while using the parks’ swimming pools and outdoor movie screenings.

The city plans multilingual posters explaining app use at the sites, and it will handle inquiries from foreign Baemin users and collect feedback on-site. Baemin is also reportedly planning 3,000 won, about $2, discount coupons for foreign users through the app at 5 p.m. each day. The newspaper presents the coupon as reported planning, so travelers should verify it in the app.

Why it matters outside Korea

For visitors already in Seoul, delivery access has often been less about choosing a restaurant than clearing local verification and payment requirements. This arrangement turns that friction into a tourism-operations issue: where to order, which payment method is accepted, and how to ask for help in a language you can use. It also places delivery in a public-park setting.

For overseas operators and accommodation providers, the announcement is a reminder that Korea’s delivery culture can be usable by travelers but may still depend on app eligibility and location. The city’s Tourism & Sports Bureau head, Cho Seong-ho, said the agreement aims to lower barriers for foreign travelers and let them experience delivery culture throughout the city. That is a partnership objective, not a guarantee of uniform service.

What travelers and expats should watch

• Set up and test the app before arriving at the park: confirm that your non-Korean phone number and payment method work before depending on a dinner order at Yeouido or Ttukseom.
• Use the designated park areas: the Aug. 1–31 program applies to designated areas at Yeouido Han River Park and Ttukseom Han River Park, not necessarily every riverside location.
• Look for multilingual instructions on site: the city says it will place multilingual app-use posters and gather questions from foreign users at the event.
• Verify the daily coupon in Baemin: the reported offer is 3,000 won for foreign users at 5 p.m.; check the app for eligibility and availability before planning around it.

Context

Read this as an August operations guide for visitors already in Seoul, not as a brand-new app launch. Baemin’s foreign-phone and overseas-payment access predates the agreement; the city partnership is about awareness, feedback, and a specific Han River park program. The practical question is therefore whether your account, payment method, and chosen park location qualify on the day—not whether Korean delivery exists for tourists in the abstract.

Korelay take

Read this as an August operations guide for visitors already in Seoul, not as a brand-new app launch. Baemin’s foreign-phone and overseas-payment access predates the agreement; the city partnership is about awareness, feedback, and a specific Han River park program. The practical question is therefore whether your account, payment method, and chosen park location qualify on the day—not whether Korean delivery exists for tourists in the abstract.

Editor note: Desk reporting supplies the timeline; Korelay adds the overseas behavior layer (what to change, what not to assume, what to re-check). If you only need the wire facts, open the primary link in Source.

Source

Korea JoongAng Daily: Seoul teams up with Baemin to make food delivery easier for foreign tourists — paraphrased for briefing; read the original for full detail.