A 67-year-old man surnamed Cho living in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, recently tried to pay for a cup of coffee at Starbucks with cash, only to be told that the store accepted only credit cards and mobile payments. "I just wanted to pay in cash, but they told me it had been the store's long-standing policy not to accept it. I knew most people paid by card these days, but I never expected a store to refuse cash altogether," he said. "Since then, I've made sure to always carry a card." His experience comes as cash is becoming harder to use in everyday life in Korea, with more cafes, buses and even bank branches moving away from physical payments. For many consumers, paying by card or mobile phone has become the new normal as Korea moves toward a cashless society. But for those who still rely on cash, the growing number of places that no longer accept it is making everyday purchases increasingly difficult. The shift has been underway in the retail sector for years. Starbucks Korea introduced cashless stores at 103 locations nationwide in November 2018, accepting only cards and mobile payment