Shopping in Korea: Olive Young to Coupang

Olive Young and the tax refund → pharmacies and over-the-counter medicine → skin-clinic prices → Coupang and WOW membership → Korean clothing and shoe sizes → the 2026 sale calendar → phones and electronics → returns, refunds and secondhand → Korean sunscreen, Korea vs the Global Mall. 9 parts.

Korea is a shopping destination with rules that are not written down in English: which sales are real, where the tax refund happens, what a Korean size 95 or a 260 shoe means, whether a foreign card works on Coupang, and what a skin clinic actually charges. This course puts the 2026 prices and rules in one place — with sources and dates, because Korean retail changes its terms often — and a calculator where a number helps you decide.

  1. 1Olive Young for Foreigners (2026)1,381 stores, 28% of sales to tourists. Sale weeks in March, June, September, December; coupons up to ₩40,000; instant tax refund at tourist stores. Tool. · 5 min read
  2. 2Korean Pharmacy Guide for Foreigners (2026)Tylenol 500 mg ₩3,217 for 10, cold syrup ₩3,000, Fucidin ₩7,429 (survey, Dec 2025). Prescriptions 30% with NHIS. Night pharmacies, 13 CVS medicines, lookup. · 7 min read
  3. 3Korean Skin Clinic Prices (2026)Laser toning ₩30–100k, botox ₩150–400k full face, Rejuran 2 cc ₩220–300k, Shurink ₩150–500k, Ultherapy ₩1.5–4M (Seoul 2026). VAT refund ended. Budget tool. · 4 min read
  4. 4Coupang for Foreigners (2026)Overseas Visa/Mastercard works via Coupay. WOW ₩7,890: free Rocket Delivery, Rocket Fresh, Eats ₩0 delivery, Coupang Play. Non-members free over ₩19,800 net. · 5 min read
  5. 5Korean Clothing and Shoe Sizes Explained (2026)Korean tops are chest cm (95 ≈ M), women's 44/55/66/77, shoes in mm (260 = US 8 / EU 41), free size = S–M. Converter plus Musinsa, Dongdaemun, big sizes. · 6 min read
  6. 6Korea Shopping Sale Calendar 2026Olive Young sales Mar/Jun/Sep/Dec, department stores late March, Korea Sale Festa Oct 29–Nov 15, Korea Grand Sale Dec–Feb, Musinsa Black Friday mid-November. · 5 min read
  7. 7Buying Electronics in Korea (2026)Galaxy S26 256 GB is ₩1,254,000 in Korea vs US$899 in the US. Unlocked + MVNO plan vs carrier contract over 24 months. Samsung Store, Hi-Mart, tax refund. · 5 min read
  8. 8Returns, Refunds and Secondhand in Korea (2026)Online: 7 days to cancel by law (3 months if not as described). In-store: no legal right unless defective. 1372 hotline. Karrot 21M users, Bunjang 6% escrow. · 6 min read
  9. 9Korean Sunscreen 2026Top Korean sunscreens cost ₩15,000–27,900 at Olive Young; the Global Mall charges 50–80% more and no longer ships to the US. Filters, labels, prices. · 6 min read