Foreigners wanting to visit South Korea will be able to exchange Korean won ... at branches of Korean banks in their countries.
The Ministry of Finance and Economy issued a permit Friday, which allows Korean banks overseas to exchange the Korean currency for four months beginning in April, two-thousand-two. A ministry official said the measure is aimed at facilitating foreigners' trip to Korea during the World Cup period.
The government has so far restricted the outflow of Korean won to prevent a possible attack from hedge funds.
In cities without Korean banks, domestic firms will be allowed to distribute Korean won through foreign banks.
A similar measure will also be put into effect during the Asian Games in Pusan next year.