Time to change ATM cards

Certain automatic teller machines at banks and stock brokerages stopped taking debit cards with a magnetic strip on Friday. Customers who visited a Shinhan Bank branch in downtown Seoul on Friday are withdrawing money from cash machines with cards installed with integrated circuit chips, or IC. Bankers advise cash card users to replace theirs with IC cards as magnetic strip cards will be phased out before February next year.

tomato99@donga.com