More than eight in every 10 adults in Korea own at least one credit card, a poll showed Friday, indicating plastic money has become the main means of settlement in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.

According to the survey of 2,000 people aged 20-70 by the Korea Consumer Agency, 1,647 respondents, or 82.4 percent said they have at least one credit card.

Of the tallied holders, 24 percent answered they have only one credit card, with the percentage for those with two and three standing at 30.7 percent and 24.7 percent respectively. Those with four or more credit cards accounted for another 20.7 percent, the survey showed.

The bulk of the single credit card holders had middle-school education or under, and most were women in their 20s with a monthly income of less than 2 million won ($1,780).

In contrast, the majority of those having more than four credit cards were people in their 30s with at least a postgraduate degree, monthly earnings of 4 million won in the sales industry and a spouse.

Meanwhile, 62.4 percent chose the credit card as their most frequent payment tool. By age, people in their 40s showed the highest credit card usage, according to the survey. 

(Yonhap News)