Shopping

For a first shopping trip in Korea, go to Myeongdong in Seoul for K-beauty, Dongdaemun for clothes until midnight and Insadong for crafts and gifts. Carry your passport: stores showing a Tax Free sign refund the tax on any receipt of ₩15,000 or more, and many take it off at the till for payments under ₩1,000,000.

Shopping hours are long. Department stores open about 10:30–20:00, big malls until 22:00, and Dongdaemun’s fashion malls until midnight or later. Traditional markets are the exception: many stalls close on Sundays. Tax rules below come from the decree in force since 2 January 2026, and store hours from official store and Visit Seoul pages, checked on 27 October 2026.

Where to shop for what

You want	Go here	Hours to plan around
Cosmetics and skincare	Myeongdong, Line 4, Exits 5–10	Shops open every day; hours vary
Clothes, late at night	Dongdaemun malls beside DDP	Doota Mall 10:30–24:00 daily
Souvenirs and crafts	Insadong, Anguk Station Exit 6	Daytime and early evening
Indie fashion and pop-up stores	Seongsu-dong or Hongdae	Afternoon to evening
Luxury brands and food halls	Department stores in Myeongdong and Jamsil	About 10:30–20:00; one Monday off most months
A rainy day under one roof	COEX Mall or Lotte World Mall	10:30–22:00
Cheap clothes, kitchenware, ginseng	Namdaemun Market; Gukje Market in Busan	Mornings, Monday–Saturday

Hours checked 27 October 2026 on each operator’s site or Visit Seoul; individual shops may differ.

If you have one afternoon, combine Myeongdong and Namdaemun: they sit a short walk apart in central Seoul, and the main department stores are on the same edge of Myeongdong.

How the tax refund works

Korea adds 10% VAT to most prices. Visitors who are non-residents can claim it back at stores that display a Tax Free or Tax Refund sign. VisitKorea describes the eligible shopper as a foreign visitor staying under six months.

Rule	What it means for you
₩15,000 minimum	Each receipt must reach ₩15,000; separate small receipts are not added together
Passport	The store needs the passport itself to issue the refund
Three months	Take the goods out of Korea within three months of buying them
Instant refund: under ₩1,000,000 per payment	The store takes the tax off at the till
Instant refund: ₩5,000,000 per trip	Total purchases with tax taken off at the till, across all stores
Downtown refund: up to ₩6,000,000 per receipt	Claim cash at a city refund booth, then confirm at customs when you leave

From the Foreign Tourist Tax Exemption Decree and its rules (in force 2 January 2026) and VisitKorea.

The refund you receive is less than the full 10%: refund operators deduct a handling charge approved by the National Tax Service. The money guide covers paying by card and cash.

Three ways to get the money back

1. At the till (instant refund). Show your passport when paying. This is the easiest route; it is offered mostly by department stores, large supermarkets and some smaller shops.
2. In the city (downtown refund). Pay full price, keep the refund receipt, and claim at a refund booth in a shopping district. Each booth handles only its own refund company’s receipts, and customs still confirms the goods when you leave.
3. At the airport. At Incheon, use a tax refund kiosk. Goods in your hand luggage go to the kiosk after check-in. If the goods are in a bag you will check in, tell the airline staff first, get a customs tag, then take the bag to the kiosk; if the kiosk asks for an inspection, show the unopened goods at the customs desk.

Keep the goods unused and in their packaging until you leave: customs can ask to see them.

Seoul’s shopping areas

Myeongdong for cosmetics

Myeongdong is Seoul’s best-known shopping district. Its pedestrian lanes are packed with cosmetics chains, single-brand skincare shops, fashion stores and, in the evening, street-food stalls. Look for the Tax Free sign at the door before you buy. Use Exits 5–10 of Myeongdong Station (Line 4). See the Myeongdong guide for the cathedral and food streets.

Dongdaemun for clothes, late

The streets around Dongdaemun Design Plaza hold Seoul’s biggest clothing market: shopping malls, fabric and clothing arcades and wholesale buildings for shop owners. Doota Mall opens 10:30–24:00 every day; Visit Seoul lists the wider market area as open 24 hours, with hours set by each shop, so the big retail malls are the easiest start. Use Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station (Lines 2, 4 and 5) and see the DDP guide.

Insadong for crafts and gifts

Insadong is the place for souvenirs that are made in Korea: hanji paper, ceramics, other handicrafts and traditional teas. Walk Insadong-gil from Anguk Station Exit 6 (Line 3) at the north end; tea houses and galleries fill the side lanes. More craft ideas are on the crafts page.

Seongsu and Hongdae for trend shopping

Seongsu-dong, on Line 2, fills old factories and warehouses with design shops, fashion brands and short-run pop-up stores, centred on Yeonmujang-gil near Seongsu Station Exit 4. Hongdae, around Hongik Univ. Station, has budget fashion and thrift shops among its cafés and music venues; see K-culture for more of the area’s pop culture.

Department stores and malls

Department stores open about 10:30–20:00 and close on one Monday in most months; Lotte’s main store in Myeongdong, for example, closes on 9 November 2026. Each store publishes its closing days on its own calendar. Malls stay open later: Starfield COEX Mall in Gangnam opens 10:30–22:00 and houses the Starfield Library atrium, and Lotte World Mall at the foot of Lotte World Tower opens 10:30–22:00 every day of the year.

Namdaemun Market

Namdaemun is Seoul’s big traditional market: clothing, kitchenware and ginseng, sold from hundreds of stalls around Hoehyeon Station (Line 4, Exit 7). Visit Seoul lists Sunday as the market’s day off, and hours vary by stall, so go on a weekday or Saturday morning. For food-focused markets, see markets in Korea.

Shopping outside Seoul

• Busan: Gukje Market is a postwar market of covered alleys selling clothes, kitchenware and snacks, about 09:00–20:00; its Sunday closures differ between official listings, so plan a weekday or Saturday.
• Daegu: Dongseongno, on the line of the old city wall, is the city’s main shopping street.
• Jeonju: the city-run Craft Exhibition Hall in the hanok village sells hanji paper, fans and local crafts.
• Suwon: Starfield Suwon by Hwaseo Station pairs a large mall with a free library atrium.

Tips for shopping in Korea

• Carry your passport every shopping day. No passport, no tax refund.
• Pay by card. Cards work in almost every shop and mall; keep some cash for market stalls.
• Keep your receipts together. Downtown and airport refunds need them, and customs may ask to see the goods.
• Shop markets early in the week. Many traditional market stalls close on Sundays.
• Check the department store calendar. Most close on one Monday a month, not on a fixed day.
• Leave airport time. Allow extra time before your flight for refund kiosks and a possible customs check.

Where to next

Plan your shopping days around the Seoul and Busan city guides, eat between shops with the Korean food guide, and head out after dark with nightlife.