Kiwoom Securities partners with Travel Wallet to expand investment reach through travel platform

Kiwoom Securities has teamed up with global foreign exchange and payments platform Travel Wallet to cooperate on digital assets and embedded finance.

Kiwoom Securities announced Thursday it had signed a strategic MOU with Travel Wallet. The two companies plan to combine Kiwoom Securities' retail investment infrastructure with Travel Wallet's digital wallet infrastructure to jointly pursue new businesses, including next-generation digital asset research and embedded finance.

Embedded finance integrates financial functions — such as account inquiries and financial product transactions — directly within external platforms or services. Customers can access financial services within the platforms they already use, without switching to a separate financial app.

Kiwoom Securities plans to develop a service allowing Travel Wallet users to trade Kiwoom's tailored financial products using foreign currencies they hold, such as US dollars and Japanese yen. The company aims to expand customer touchpoints through seamless embedded financial services.

The two companies also plan to jointly develop customized services with greater accessibility — including fractional share investing and installment-based financial content — to meet the needs of key users, particularly those in their 20s and 30s. They will continue to collaborate on next-generation digital asset business research, cross-marketing and tailored financial content.

Kiwoom Securities CEO Eom Ju-seong said the agreement marks "a first step toward naturally integrating Korea's top-tier investment infrastructure into the lifestyle domain of travel." He added that the company aims to go beyond short-term revenue generation by sharing and developing each company's core strengths to deliver differentiated financial convenience to users.

Travel Wallet CEO Kim Hyeong-u said that combining Travel Wallet's global foreign exchange and payments infrastructure with Kiwoom Securities' retail investment capabilities "will allow customers to experience the financial services they need for travel and everyday life in a more seamless way." He added that the company will expand cooperation in digital assets and embedded finance to create an environment where customers can use financial services more easily and effectively.

The securities industry has been moving away from platform-centric services toward embedded finance strategies that integrate financial functions within external platforms. Analysts expect such collaborations to grow, particularly as the travel-oriented and foreign currency exchange user base among customers in their 20s and 30s increasingly overlaps with demand for overseas stock investment — making it a natural fit to bundle investment services within lifestyle platforms.