Counterfeit banknotes detected in Korea fall sharply in first half of 2026

The number of counterfeit banknotes detected in Korea fell sharply during the first half of 2026 as cashless transactions became more widespread, the central bank said on Wednesday.

A total of 41 counterfeit banknotes were found in the first six months of the year, down 33.9 percent from 62 a year earlier, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).

The figure has declined steadily in recent years due to a growing preference for noncash payment methods and fell below 100 for the first time in 2025.

The BOK said that Korea detected about 0.6 counterfeit banknotes per 100 million notes in circulation compared to 4,229 in Britain, 1,461 in the eurozone, 1,411 in Canada and 8.6 in Japan.

Yonhap