Olive Young And K-Beauty Shopping In Seoul: Flagships, Daiso And The Tax Refund

Sunbae Says: Shop late (Myeongdong Town is open until 10:30pm), bring your actual passport (not a photo), and do skincare and sunscreen at Olive Young, then the budget extras and tools at Daiso.

You walk into Myeongdong Town with a list from TikTok. Twenty minutes later your basket is full of things that weren’t on the list. That’s fine. It happens to most people: in 2026, a third of foreign shoppers spent over 100,000 won in a single transaction. Here’s how to shop smarter.

How It Started

A drugstore chain from 1999. Olive Young opened its first store in 1999 and celebrated its 25th anniversary at the Seongsu flagship in 2024, Money Today (in Korean) noted. For most of that time it was a Korean shop for Koreans: skincare, snacks, toothpaste.

Then the world found it. Foreign customers were about 2 percent of Olive Young’s in store sales in 2022, passed 10 percent in 2023 and topped 25 percent in 2025, Lady Kyunghyang (in Korean) reported. The Myeong-dong store was renewed as a global store in November 2023, and the chain’s foreign sales hit 1 trillion won in the first eleven months of 2025, about 26 times the 2022 figure.

Rivals left. Sephora closed its stores, website and app in Korea from 6 May 2024, Retail Dive reported. Olive Young’s real competition now comes from department store counters and, surprisingly, Daiso.

Status, October 2026. Foreign shoppers reached 33 percent of Olive Young’s offline sales by August 2026, and passed 1 trillion won three months earlier than the year before, the company said on CJ Newsroom (in Korean) on 31 August. Shoppers came from 192 countries, led by the US, Singapore, Japan, China and Thailand. As of August, 151 stores were designated global tourism stores with foreign language staff and multilingual signs.

Where To Go: The Stores

Olive Young Myeongdong Town (올리브영 명동타운). At 53 Myeongdong-gil, open 10am to 10:30pm every day including holidays, per the official store page. Myeongdong Station Exit 8 (Line 4) or Euljiro 1-ga Station Exit 5 (Line 2). The first floor has skincare, sun care, masks and a checkout; the second floor has make up, hair, body, men’s, fragrance, tools, health food and the Global Service Lounge with the tax refund desk.

Olive Young N Seongsu (올리브영N 성수). Olive Young’s largest store, opened 22 November 2024: five floors, about 4,628 square metres, 12 beauty zones and more than 160 brands new to the chain, New Daily (in Korean) reported. It’s a minute from Seongsu Station Exit 4, per Money Today. Make up studios, a touch up bar and a K-pop goods zone make it more of an outing than a shop. Around 70 to 80 percent of sales go to foreign shoppers, according to 2025 and 2026 reports. Pair it with the Seongsu pop ups and cafes.

Daiso (다이소). The household goods chain has become a K-beauty stop in its own right. Its price ceiling is 5,000 won, with items at 1,000 and 2,000 won, Hankyung (in Korean) reported in April 2026, and it has about 1,600 stores. It carried about 60 beauty brands and over 500 beauty products by the end of 2024, often in smaller sizes and pouches, and its beauty sales rose 130 percent in early 2025, MTN (in Korean) reported. Hankyung pictured a crowded Daiso near Myeongdong Station.

Department store counters. For premium Korean brands with consultants, go to the beauty floors in my department store guide.

How To Shop And Claim The Tax Refund

1. Sign up for the global membership. Olive Young’s Global Mall membership is free for foreigners and comes with welcome gifts at the Myeongdong Town lounge, per the store page. The points membership needs a Korean phone number, so don’t bother with that.

2. Bring your physical passport. The store page is clear: for the instant refund you need to spend 15,000 won or more and show a physical passport. No passport, an unregistered passport, or a stay over six months gets you a refund voucher to claim at the airport instead.

3. Know the numbers. The refund is 5 to 8 percent of the purchase, worked out in 1,000 won steps, per the store page. Under the national rules on VisitKorea, the instant refund covers 15,000 won to under 1 million won per receipt, up to 5 million won per trip.

4. Keep things sealed. Exchanges need unopened products within 15 days with the receipt and the original card, and refunds are only at the store where you bought it.

5. Bring a bag. Bags cost 100 won (paper) or 500 won (reusable). Gift boxes cost 1,000 to 2,500 won.

Heads Up: A photo of your passport on your phone won’t get you the instant refund at Olive Young. Carry the real thing on shopping days, and keep it zipped away.

What To Buy And What It Costs

What foreigners buy: basic skincare, colour cosmetics and hair care led foreign sales in 2026, and shoppers bought six products on average, CJ said. Foreign sales of hair tonics and ampoules, inner beauty items such as collagen and slimming jelly, and perfumed hand creams all grew fast. Hand creams are popular gifts: foreigners bought about 40 percent of Olive Young’s hand care.

Price range: Daiso items top out at 5,000 won. At Olive Young, prices vary by brand and promotions change often; 35 percent of foreign shoppers spent more than 100,000 won at once in 2026. Set a budget before you go in.

Bargaining: no. Look for the in store promotion tags instead.

Cash or card: cards work everywhere; Myeongdong Town also lists WeChat Pay and Alipay. My money guide covers foreign cards.

This is a cosmetics guide only. I don’t give skin treatment or medical advice. If you’re thinking about a clinic, read my skin clinic red flags guide first.

Options With Opinions

Option	Best For	Cost	Time	My Take
Olive Young Myeongdong Town	Big range, refund desk, late hours	Mid	1 hour	My pick for a first haul
Olive Young N Seongsu	Brands, studios, an outing	Mid	1 to 2 hours	Best if you’re in Seongsu anyway
Daiso	Budget minis, tools, extras	Up to 5,000 won an item	30 min	Best value add on
Department store counters	Premium brands, consultants	Higher	1 hour	For gifts and splurges

My pick: Myeongdong Town at 8pm for the main haul, Daiso for tools and minis on the way back to your hotel.

What Locals Know

People visit more than one store. In a May 2026 survey, foreign shoppers in tourist areas visited 2.8 Olive Young stores each, CJ said. Stock and promotions differ between stores, so if your sunscreen is sold out, try the next one.

There’s an AI assistant now. Some Seoul stores added an AI shopping assistant with voice support in eight languages in June 2026. Useful if you can’t read the labels.

Shelf labels show English. At the Seongsu flagship, electronic shelf labels show English product names, New Daily reported.

Daiso is a beauty lab. Brands use Daiso to test small, cheap versions of products, MTN reported. It’s a low risk way to try a new brand.

Heads Up: Myeongdong Town has no toilet and no bag or umbrella storage, per its store page. Use the subway station first, and keep shopping bags and carry ons with you.

Pick Your Version

If It’s Your First Time

Do Myeongdong Town and a Daiso in one evening, as part of my Myeong-dong shopping guide. The Start Here hub covers cards and apps.

If You’re Travelling Solo

It’s open until 10:30pm, so I’d go after dinner, take my time with the testers and walk back through Myeong-dong.

Sunbae’s Picks

My pick for a gift that travels: perfumed hand creams. Light, cheap, and everyone back home will use them.

If I only had one hour, I’d do Myeongdong Town’s first floor for skincare and sunscreen, then the checkout with my passport.

I’d skip buying 20 products you’ve never tried. Start with minis at Daiso or small sizes, then buy full sizes on your next trip.

Pair it with a street: Garosu-gil is a ginkgo walk, not a cosmetics stop. Do your beauty shopping here instead, and mind the unwritten rules about testers and queues.

Offers Worth Knowing

The free Global Mall membership has welcome gifts at Myeongdong Town, and the instant tax refund applies at both flagships. For several rides a day, Seoul’s 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 day tourist passes continue.

What’s Changing In 2026

A third of sales are foreign. Foreign shoppers went from 2 percent of Olive Young’s offline sales in 2022 to 33 percent in August 2026. My read: more English signage and staff, but also busier stores. Go at off peak times.

Beyond Seoul. Foreign sales grew fastest outside the capital in 2026, up 105 percent in Gangwon and 88 percent in Gyeongju, CJ said. The chain is opening bigger town stores and region themed stores outside the capital, so you can shop in Busan, Jeju or Gyeongju too.

Worth It Or Skip It

Worth It: one evening at Myeongdong Town with a passport and a list, plus a Daiso stop.

Skip It: stocking up on full sizes of products you’ve never tried.

Walk It Before You Go

Watch a walk through Myeong-dong’s beauty shop streets before you ride out, so the exits and corners look familiar when you get there. The video is by Walking YUNIE on YouTube, not by me, and shops may have changed since it was filmed.

Getting There

Olive Young Myeongdong Town: Myeongdong Station (Line 4, sky blue) Exit 8, or Euljiro 1-ga Station (Line 2, green) Exit 5. Olive Young N Seongsu: Seongsu Station (Line 2, green) Exit 4, about a minute’s walk.

From Myeong-dong: you’re there. Walk to 53 Myeongdong-gil.

From Hongdae: Line 2 (green) from Hongik University Station to Euljiro 1-ga, about 20 minutes, Exit 5. 1,550 won.

From Gangnam: Line 2 (green) from Gangnam Station toward Jamsil, 11 stops to Seongsu for Olive Young N Seongsu, about 25 minutes. 1,550 won.

Naver Map finds the nearest store; my travel apps guide sets it up, and the subway map shows the lines.

Word Of The Stop

택스 리펀 해 주세요 (taekseu ripeon hae juseyo), “Tax refund, please.” Say it at the checkout as you hand over your passport.

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Map And Directions

Frequently Asked Questions

What Time Does Olive Young Myeongdong Open?

Olive Young Myeongdong Town at 53 Myeongdong-gil opens 10am to 10:30pm daily, including weekends and holidays, per its official page. Hours may change.

How Do I Get A Tax Refund At Olive Young?

Spend 15,000 won or more and show your physical passport at the checkout for an instant refund of 5 to 8 percent, up to 5 million won per trip. Without a physical passport, you get a voucher to claim at the airport.

Is Olive Young N Seongsu Better Than Myeong-dong?

It’s bigger (five floors) with studios and more brands, so it’s better as an outing. Myeongdong Town is easier for a quick haul and stays open late.

Is Daiso Cheaper Than Olive Young For Cosmetics?

Daiso caps prices at 5,000 won and sells smaller sizes, so items are cheaper, but the brand range is narrower. Use it for minis, tools and trying new brands.

Can Foreigners Join Olive Young Membership?

Yes, the free Global Mall membership gives welcome gifts. The points membership needs a Korean phone number.

Next Stop

• Myeong-dong Shopping Guide: the street around the flagship.
• Seongsu Pop Up Stores: beauty launches near Olive Young N Seongsu.
• Korean Department Stores Guide: premium counters and tourist cards.

Resources

• Olive Young Myeongdong Global store page: hours, floors, refund rules.
• VisitKorea: tax refund rules: national minimums and caps.
• Olive Young Global Mall (global.oliveyoung.com): free membership sign up.
• Naver Map: search 올리브영 for the nearest store.
• 1330 Korea Travel Hotline: call 1330 (+82-2-1330 from abroad) for help in English.

How I Checked This

On 14 October 2026 I checked store details and refund rules on Olive Young’s Myeongdong Town page and VisitKorea, foreign sales against Lady Kyunghyang (December 2025) and CJ Newsroom (August 2026), the Seongsu flagship against New Daily and Money Today (2024), Daiso against Hankyung (April 2026) and MTN (2025), and Sephora’s exit against Retail Dive (2024). I could not confirm current prices for specific products or whether every Daiso near Myeong-dong offers tax refunds; ask at the counter.

Sources

• Olive Young: Myeongdong Global store page
• CJ Newsroom: foreign sales pass 1 trillion won three months faster, Aug 2026 (Korean)
• Lady Kyunghyang: Olive Young foreign sales top 1 trillion won, Dec 2025 (Korean)
• New Daily: Olive Young N Seongsu opens, Nov 2024 (Korean)
• Money Today: inside Olive Young N Seongsu, Nov 2024 (Korean)
• Hankyung: Daiso’s uniform price strategy, Apr 2026 (Korean)
• MTN: Daiso’s budget beauty boom, Jun 2025 (Korean)
• Retail Dive: Sephora exits Korea, Mar 2024
• VisitKorea: tax refund rules

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Written by your sunbae. Over 20 years in Korea. We learned the lessons the hard way, so you don’t have to, and we’re here to guide you and help you enjoy Korea. Every fact here is checked against official sources and, wherever possible, on the ground.

Beep Check: verified 14 Oct 2026. Rules, prices and dates change; confirm with the official source before you travel.