SK Telekom, Hana Financial to launch mobile contactless service in March

Hana Card, the Korean credit card issuer in which SK Telekom took a 49% stake in December, has announced it is to launch its new mobile proximity service in mid-March.

“Our goal is securing 400,000-500,000 new customers for mobile credit cards within the year,” says Hana Card CEO Lee Kang-tae. “From now on, all the products we launch will be services that fuse communication with finance.”

The new service, to be called Hana SK Card, will enable customers to pay by credit card with their mobile phone and to download coupons and information on special deals. Details of the technology to be used have not yet been revealed.

SK Telekom’s CEO Man-Won Jung revealed detailed plans for the new joint venture in December. “The partnership is aimed at introducing and expanding the use of mobile credit cards while promoting next-generation payment and settlement services,” he said. “With this deal, the two companies will maximise business synergies so as to create a new telecommunications and finance convergence market.”

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