This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Asia from the KU Center for East Asian Studies.

Wither cash? And while we’re asking, wither wallets? If the South Koreans have their way, the answer will be the way of the dinosaur. South Korea is aiming to become a cashless, walletless society by packing everything the modern consumer needs into one tiny hyu-dae phone which is Korean for cellphone. Already people in the land of ultra-high-speed broadband use their hyu-dae phones for alarm clocks, public transportation fares, watching TV and marking attendance in class. And then there’s T-money stored on the SIM card and chips that can contain up to 100 credit cards. There’s even mobile gift giving which allows users to send, say, a Starbucks icon to a friend’s hyu-dae phone which can then be redeemed. We’ll know they’ve reached the hi tech event horizon when they can say “Beam me up a non-fat frappuccino latte, Scotty.”

From the KU Center for East Asian Studies, I’m Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.