Korea Insight Now: Korean Pharmacy Shopping Guide 2026: What Tourists Buy and How to Shop

Ask a traveler what they bought in Seoul this year, and a surprising answer keeps coming up: "stuff from the pharmacy." Scar gels, acne creams, pain-relief patches, eye drops. Korean pharmacies have become one of the city's hottest shopping stops.

The numbers back this up. Foreign visitors spent about ₩142.1 billion at Korean pharmacies in just the first half of 2026. That's already more than all of 2025, according to Korea Tourism Organization data. This guide explains why it's happening, how a Korean pharmacy differs from Olive Young, which product types visitors buy, and how to shop without speaking Korean.

Please note: this is general shopping information, not medical advice. Product uses below are the officially approved uses listed by Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS). Always ask the pharmacist and read the label before you use any medicine.

At a Glance

It's booming: Foreign card spending at Seoul pharmacies rose about 12-fold in the first half of 2026, BC Card data shows.
Pharmacy ≠ Olive Young: Only a pharmacy (약국, yakguk) with a licensed pharmacist can sell over-the-counter medicine. Olive Young sells cosmetics and other non-medicine items.
No prescription, no strong drugs: Prescription-only medicine needs a prescription from a doctor in Korea.
Easiest way to buy: Show the pharmacist a photo or the Korean name of the product, then ask how to use it.
Before you fly home: Check your own country's rules for bringing medicine in. Some Korean OTC products are restricted elsewhere.

Infographic comparing a Korean pharmacy (yakguk) with a health and beauty drugstore such as Olive Young: who works there, OTC medicine, prescription-only medicine, quasi-drugs, cosmetics and tax refund, plus six product types popular with visitors

Pharmacy vs drugstore in Korea, and what visitors buy (tap to enlarge). Graphic: Korea Insight Now

Why Pharmacy Shopping Is Booming in Korea

Start with the money. Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) data, reported by Asia Economy in July 2026, shows foreign visitors spent about ₩7.6 billion at Korean pharmacies in 2021. By 2025, that figure had grown to about ₩125.6 billion, close to 17 times more. In the first half of 2026 alone, they spent about ₩142.1 billion.

Other data sets point the same way:

Card data: BC Card found foreigners' card spending at Seoul pharmacies rose 1,176.9% in the first half of 2026 compared with a year earlier (Dong-A Ilbo, Sept 2026).
Fastest-growing category: In May 2026, pharmacy spending grew 206.1%, the highest rate among the major categories visitors spend on, ahead of duty-free shops and department stores (KTO data via Kyunghyang Shinmun).
Most medical-related purchases happen at pharmacies: In May 2026, pharmacies made up 69.8% of all foreign card transactions in the medical category, which also covers clinics and hospitals (KTO data via Yonhap).
More pharmacies in Myeongdong: The number of pharmacies in the Myeongdong (명동) area grew from 46 last year to 70 as of September 2026, according to the Jung-gu district office (Dong-A Ilbo).

So why now? A few reasons come up again and again in Korean press reports.

Social media. Lists of "must-buy Korean pharmacy items" spread on Xiaohongshu, TikTok and YouTube. Pharmacists in Myeongdong say many visitors walk in holding a phone with product photos saved from these lists.

Beauty, not just medicine. WOWPASS, a payment card for visitors, analyzed about 400,000 user reviews. Of the reviewers who said why they went, 72% visited a pharmacy for beauty or health-supplement products, and 28% to treat an illness or symptom (Economist Korea, Sept 2026). Skin-repair creams were the most-mentioned product type.

Aftercare. Many visitors get skin treatments at Korean dermatology clinics, then head to a pharmacy for creams to use afterward.

Choice and price. A spokesperson for the Korean Pharmaceutical Association told Dong-A Ilbo that Korea has a wider range of OTC medicine than many Southeast Asian countries, and marketing has boosted interest. Some visitors also say certain products cost less than at home.

Tourist-friendly stores. Large pharmacies in tourist areas now have English, Chinese and Japanese signs, staff who speak those languages, testers, currency exchange machines and tax refund machines.

Inside a large Korean pharmacy with wooden shelves of skincare products under a sign reading Pharmacy Derma Skin Care, plus tables of boxed medicines and supplements

A tourist-style pharmacy in Seoul's Gangnam area, with a "Pharmacy Derma Skin Care" section (Sept 2025). Photo: Choikwangmo25 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Pharmacy vs Drugstore: What's the Difference?

This is where most visitors get confused. In English, "drugstore" can mean a pharmacy. In Korea, the two are separate kinds of shops.

Pharmacy (약국, yakguk)

Look for the big 약 (yak, "medicine") sign. Under Korea's Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, medicines are sold through pharmacies, and only a pharmacist can sell over-the-counter (OTC) medicine and explain how to take it.

In Korea, OTC medicine is called 일반의약품 (ilban uiyakpum, "general medicine"). It covers things like cold medicine, digestive aids, pain-relief patches and medicated skin ointments. You don't need a prescription for these.

Drugstore / health & beauty store (e.g., Olive Young)

Olive Young (올리브영) is a health and beauty chain, not a pharmacy. It sells cosmetics, supplements, snacks and quasi-drugs (의약외품, uiyak oepum). Quasi-drugs are low-risk items regulated a bit like medicine, such as face masks, toothpaste and some patches. Olive Young does not sell OTC medicine. For its best-sellers, see our Olive Young must-buy guide.

Prescription-only medicine (전문의약품)

Stronger medicines such as antibiotic pills are 전문의약품 (jeonmun uiyakpum, "specialist medicine"). A pharmacy can only give them to you with a prescription from a doctor in Korea. A prescription from home won't work. Some products that look similar can fall on either side of the line. For example, MFDS lists some hyaluronic acid eye drops as prescription-only, while other artificial tears are OTC.

Good to know: some famous names are quasi-drugs, not medicines. MFDS lists the classic Antiphlamine (안티푸라민) ointment and the original Madecassol (마데카솔) ointment as quasi-drugs. Related products with different ingredients, such as Madecassol Care, are OTC medicines sold in pharmacies.

Late at night, some 24-hour convenience stores sell a short list of basic household medicines. Our convenience store guide explains what you'll find there.

Must-Buy Korean Pharmacy Products (By Type)

These are the product types Korean news outlets report visitors buying most. The brands are well-known examples, not recommendations. Each "approved use" is a short summary of the MFDS listing. Your pharmacist can tell you whether a product suits you.

1. Scar and wound ointments

Probably the most famous category. Korean reporters met visitors in Myeongdong buying scar and acne products by the dozen.

Madecassol Care Ointment (마데카솔케어연고, Dongkook Pharmaceutical). OTC. Approved use: early treatment of minor cuts, scrapes, stitched wounds and mild burns that have a secondary bacterial infection.
Fucidin Ointment (후시딘연고, Dongwha Pharm). OTC antibiotic ointment. Approved use: bacterial skin infections such as impetigo, folliculitis and boils, and infection in burns or wounds.
Noscarna Gel (노스카나겔, Dong-A Pharmaceutical). OTC. Approved use: care for healed skin, including raised (hypertrophic and keloid) scars, acne scars and surgery scars. The label says not to use it on open or unhealed wounds.

2. Acne and dark-spot creams

Acnon Cream (애크논크림, sold by Dong-A Pharmaceutical). OTC. Approved use: acne and pimples. Dong-A Ilbo met a mother and daughter from China in Myeongdong who had bought 40 acne products, including Noscarna and Acnon.
Melatoning Cream (멜라토닝크림, Dong-A Pharmaceutical). OTC in Korea. It contains hydroquinone, a skin-lightening ingredient. Approved use: gradual lightening of dark patches such as melasma, freckles and age spots. Heads-up: the US FDA says hydroquinone products can't legally be sold over the counter in the US. Check your own country's rules before you buy.

3. Skin-repair creams

"Repair cream" (재생크림, jaesaeng keurim) was the most-mentioned product type in WOWPASS reviews.

Rejuvenex Cream (리쥬비넥스크림, PharmaResearch). MFDS lists it as an OTC medicine. Approved use: skin conditions that tend to cause sores due to poor skin nutrition, and wounds. The brand also sells a pharmacy-only cosmetic ampoule, Rejuve-S (리쥬비에스). Its sales grew about 120% from launch to March 2026, the company said (Dong-A Ilbo).
Pharmacy cosmetics: many pharmacies also sell "derma-cosmetics" (더마코스메틱), skincare brands made for pharmacy shelves. These are cosmetics, not medicine.

4. Pain-relief patches and gels

Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that patches (파스, paseu) are a favorite gift, with some visitors buying several boxes for their parents.

Antiphlamine (안티푸라민, Yuhan Corporation). A Myeongdong pharmacy worker told Dong-A Ilbo that some customers buy 25 at a time. The classic ointment is a quasi-drug. Approved use: pain from sprains, bruises, sore muscles and joints, plus itching and insect bites. The Antiphlamine plasters (patches) are OTC medicines with anti-inflammatory ingredients.
Ketotop (케토톱, Handok). OTC plasters and gel with ketoprofen. Approved use: pain and swelling from conditions such as osteoarthritis, frozen shoulder, tendinitis, tennis elbow, sore muscles and bruising.

5. Digestive aids

Gas Whal Myung Su (까스활명수, Dongwha Pharm). A small bottle of liquid digestive medicine that Koreans have used for generations. OTC. Approved use: loss of appetite, bloating, indigestion, overeating, nausea and vomiting.
Festal Gold (훼스탈골드정, Handok). OTC tablets. Approved use: indigestion, overeating, loss of appetite and bloating from indigestion.

6. Cold remedies

Pancold A (판콜에이내복액, Dongwha Pharm). A drinkable cold medicine in small bottles. OTC. Approved use: relief of cold symptoms such as runny or blocked nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough, phlegm, chills, fever, headache and aches.
Careful with bulk buys: some cold medicines contain ingredients, such as ephedrine-type ingredients, that other countries control closely (Asia Economy, July 2026). Ask the pharmacist about ingredients if you plan to take any home.

7. Eye drops and artificial tears (인공눈물)

A Hongdae pharmacist told Yonhap that many visitors come in for artificial tears (ingong nunmul). "Eye drops and eye supplements" also made the WOWPASS top-five list. Not every eye drop is OTC, though. As noted above, MFDS lists some hyaluronic acid eye drops as prescription-only. Tell the pharmacist your symptom ("dry eyes") and let them pick an OTC option.

8. Tonic drinks and hangover helpers

Bacchus-D (박카스디, Dong-A Pharmaceutical). Korea's classic tonic drink, sold in pharmacies. It has been a quasi-drug since 2011 (convenience stores carry a sister version, Bacchus-F). Its listed uses include physical fatigue and nutritional support. It contains caffeine, and the label says it's for ages 15 and up.
Hangover drinks and pills (숙취해소제, sukchwi haesoje). Pharmacies stock them, but most are sold as foods, not medicines. Since January 2025, MFDS has required scientific evidence from human studies before a food can claim to relieve hangovers.

9. Health supplements

Vitamins, probiotics, omega-3 and lutein are also popular (Kyunghyang Shinmun). KTO found that foreign spending on health foods such as red ginseng grew 75.1% in 2025. In Korea these are "health functional foods" (건강기능식품), not medicines.

How to Buy at a Korean Pharmacy

You don't need to speak Korean. Here's the easy way to do it.

Save the product photo or Korean name on your phone before you go. This is exactly what the pharmacists in the news reports say visitors do. The Korean name (in Hangul) works better than an English spelling.
Show it at the counter and say "Igeo isseoyo?" (이거 있어요?), "Do you have this?"
Ask how to use it, and mention any allergies, pregnancy or other medicines you take. Instructions on the box are usually in Korean, so ask the pharmacist or use a camera-translate app.
Ask about tax refund before paying (see below), then pay by card or cash.

Brand names change from country to country. If you want something you already use at home, show the active ingredient instead of the brand name.

Four-panel comic of a fictional traveler showing a saved product photo to a Korean pharmacist, asking how to use it, asking about tax refund, and leaving happy

Shopping at a Korean pharmacy in four panels. Fictional characters. Illustration: Korea Insight Now

Useful Korean phrases

Want more? See our must-know Korean expressions.

English	Korean	Say it like this
Do you have this?	이거 있어요?	Igeo isseoyo?
This one, please.	이거 주세요.	Igeo juseyo.
How do I use this?	이거 어떻게 써요?	Igeo eotteoke sseoyo?
How do I take this medicine?	이 약 어떻게 먹어요?	I yak eotteoke meogeoyo?
I have an allergy.	알레르기가 있어요.	Allereugi-ga isseoyo.
I'm taking other medicine.	다른 약을 먹고 있어요.	Dareun yak-eul meokgo isseoyo.
Is there someone who speaks English?	영어 하시는 분 있어요?	Yeong-eo hasineun bun isseoyo?
Can I get a tax refund?	택스 리펀드 돼요?	Taekseu ripeondeu dwaeyo?
Can I pay by card?	카드 돼요?	Kadeu dwaeyo?
A receipt, please.	영수증 주세요.	Yeongsujeung juseyo.

Paying and tax refund

Big pharmacies in tourist areas are set up for visitors. Reporters have seen currency exchange machines inside or outside pharmacies in Myeongdong and near Hongik University Station.

Tax refund: yes, some pharmacies offer it, but not all. A pharmacy has to be a registered tax refund shop. According to Daily Pharm (Oct 2025), visitors can get a VAT refund on OTC medicine, health supplements and quasi-drugs at participating pharmacies. In 2025, the Seoul Pharmaceutical Association signed a deal that lets member pharmacies offer an immediate refund, where the tax comes off the price at the counter. Some pharmacies in Songpa-gu (around Jamsil) added a similar system.

Look for a TAX REFUND or TAX FREE sign, and ask before you pay.
Bring your physical passport.
The usual tax refund rules apply, including a minimum purchase amount. Our tax refund guide covers the limits and airport steps.

Corner pharmacy building at dusk in Seoul with an illuminated sign showing TAX, the Korean character 약 and the words Pharmacy and 藥局

A pharmacy sign with "TAX" and the big 약 (yak) character, Gangnam area, Seoul (Sept 2025). Photo: Choikwangmo25 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Opening hours, Sundays and holidays

Hours vary a lot. Big tourist-area pharmacies often stay open into the evening, and Kyunghyang Shinmun reported lines outside some Myeongdong pharmacies on weekends. Neighborhood pharmacies keep shorter hours, and many close on Sundays. Check the hours on Naver Map or KakaoMap before you go.

Seoul runs public late-night pharmacies (공공심야약국), open from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. As of September 2026, there are 40 of them across Seoul's 25 districts (Seoul Metropolitan Government). These are for when you actually need medicine, not shopping hauls. For Sunday and holiday pharmacies, plus how to use the E-Gen finder, see our guide Sick in Korea? How to use pharmacies, clinics and the ER.

Where to Shop: Pharmacy Hotspots in Seoul

WOWPASS data shows that in the first half of 2026, about 80% of foreign pharmacy spending happened around Myeongdong, Hongdae, Gangnam and Seongsu. Myeongdong alone made up more than 40%. Outside Seoul, Busan, Incheon and Jeju were the busiest.

Crowded Myeongdong shopping street in Seoul at dusk, lined with bright shop signs

Myeongdong, Seoul's busiest tourist shopping street (photo from 2012). Photo: Christian Bolz / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Myeongdong (명동)

The center of the "K-pharmacy" trend, with about 70 pharmacies in the area as of September 2026. Many big ones have foreign-language staff. Yonhap also found a large pharmacy in the underground shopping arcade below Myeongdong packed with visitors. Two tourist-focused chains named in Korean business press are Ready Young Pharmacy (레디영약국) and Berry New Pharmacy (베리뉴약국), which both opened in Myeongdong in September 2025 (Korea Economic Daily). Names are listed for reference only, not as recommendations.

Search pharmacies in Myeongdong on Google Maps · Ready Young Pharmacy Myeongdong · Berry New Pharmacy Myeongdong

Hongdae (홍대)

The area around Hongik University Station (홍대입구역) is another big cluster. Yonhap visited a pharmacy by the station's Airport Railroad exit that had added a currency exchange machine for visitors. Asia Economy counted four pharmacies near the station with big "pharmacy" signs in Chinese characters.

Search pharmacies near Hongik University Station on Google Maps

Gangnam (강남) and Seongsu (성수)

Gangnam Station is getting large "beauty pharmacies" too. Korea Economic Daily reported several big ones around Gangnam-daero, with open shelves you can browse like a cosmetics shop. Seongsu-dong, Seoul's trendy pop-up district, also has pharmacies with interpreters on staff (Dong-A Ilbo).

Pharmacies near Gangnam Station · Pharmacies in Seongsu

Getting around? Our Seoul subway guide covers all four areas. Google Maps works for finding shops in Korea, but for walking directions, Naver Map or KakaoMap works better (see our Korea travel apps guide).

Bringing Medicine Home: Check Your Country's Rules

This is the part many shopping videos skip. Just because something is OTC in Korea doesn't mean you can bring it into your home country, especially in large amounts.

Rules differ by country. Some ingredients that are OTC in Korea are prescription-only or restricted elsewhere. Hydroquinone creams are one example: the US FDA says they aren't approved for over-the-counter sale in the US.
The US example: US Customs and Border Protection says travelers bringing in prescription or OTC medicine must follow FDA rules. The FDA's personal importation page says it's generally illegal for individuals to import unapproved drugs, though it may allow some products in limited cases.
Keep it personal-sized. Large quantities can look like goods for resale, and that alone can cause problems at customs.
Keep the original packaging and receipt, and check your country's customs or health ministry website before you fly.

FAQ

Q. Can foreigners buy medicine at a Korean pharmacy without a prescription?
Yes, for over-the-counter medicine (일반의약품). Prescription-only medicine (전문의약품) needs a prescription from a doctor in Korea.

Q. Can I buy pharmacy medicine at Olive Young?
No. Olive Young sells cosmetics, supplements and quasi-drugs, but not OTC medicine. For ointments like Madecassol Care or Fucidin, go to a pharmacy with the 약 sign.

Q. Do Korean pharmacies offer tax refunds?
Some do. Participating pharmacies can refund VAT on OTC medicine, supplements and quasi-drugs, and some take the tax off the price immediately. Look for a TAX REFUND or TAX FREE sign and bring your passport.

Q. Do pharmacists speak English?
In big tourist-area pharmacies, often yes, along with Chinese and Japanese. In neighborhood pharmacies, show a photo or the Korean product name, or put the Korea Travel Hotline (1330) on speaker for help interpreting.

Q. What's the best way to ask for a product?
Show a photo or the Hangul name on your phone and say "Igeo isseoyo?" (이거 있어요?). Then ask the pharmacist how to use it.

Q. Can I take Korean pharmacy products back home?
Often yes, but it depends on your country. Some ingredients, such as hydroquinone, are restricted elsewhere. Check your customs and health authority rules, and keep quantities for personal use.

Also on Korea Insight Now
Also in Japanese: 「韓国の薬局ショッピングガイド2026」, the same guide for Japanese travelers, including what you can bring back to Japan.

Sources

Information checked in October 2026. Products, classifications, hours and tax refund options can change. This article is general information, not medical advice. Ask a pharmacist before using any medicine, and check your own country's import rules.