South Korean Won · KRW

₩ symbol · 1 country currently using this currency.

Currency info

Adopted: 1945

Currency family: Other

The won symbol ₩ resembles the Latin letter R with an additional horizontal line, visually distinguishing it from other currency symbols.

Introduced in 1945 following Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, replacing the Korean yen
The name 'won' derives from the Chinese character for 'circle' or 'round', referring to the shape of coins
Decimalized into 100 jeon in 1962, though jeon coins are rarely used in modern transactions
South Korea's central bank, the Bank of Korea, has managed the currency since its establishment in 1950
Transitioned to a floating exchange rate system in 1997 during the Asian financial crisis

Korean yen