Skip to content

Korean Pharmacy Must-Buys: What Visitors Take Home (2026)

Checked against official sources on October 21, 2026

Illustration of a shopping bag of pharmacy goods next to a small suitcase

Summary

Visitors commonly take home pain patches, digestive liquids and enzymes, scar gels and ointments from Korean pharmacies. As of October 2026, carry-on liquids at Incheon must be in containers of 100 ml or less inside one 1 L bag. Import limits differ by country: Japan lets you bring about two months of most medicines, Taiwan 12 packs per kind, Thailand 30 days. Buy only for yourself.

At a glance

Carry-on liquids
100 ml containers, one 1 L bag
Japan
External 24 per item; others 2 months
Taiwan
OTC 12 per kind, 36 in total
Thailand
Up to a 30-day supply
Vietnam
Up to USD 200 per time, 3 times a year
Tax refund
Some pharmacies take part; ask

Korean for this

  • 영수증 주세요

    yeongsujeung juseyo

    A receipt, please

  • 카드로 할게요

    kadeuro halgeyo

    I'll pay by card

  • 아이가 먹어도 돼요?

    aiga meogeodo dwaeyo?

    Can a child take this?

  • 이거 있어요?

    igeo isseoyo?

    Do you have this?

All Korean phrases

Details

Korean pharmacies have become a shopping stop for visitors. This page explains what people commonly take home, what each product is, and what to check before you buy and fly. It is practical shopping and travel information, not medical advice. Ask the pharmacist about allergies, pregnancy, children and other medicines.

What visitors buy, according to the press

  • A Newsis report of 12 September 2026 used about 400,000 reviews on the WOWPASS app. It listed regenerating creams, acne and trouble-care products, supplements, skin care, and artificial tears or eye nutrition as the top five. About 72% of visits were for beauty or health products.
  • Kyunghyang Shinmun reported on 4 July 2026 that visitors also buy pain patches, digestive medicine, cold medicine and throat relief. Korea Tourism Organization data showed pharmacy card spending by visitors up 206.1% year on year in May 2026.
  • Metro Economy (23 June 2026) found patches and digestive medicine on special counters in Myeongdong.

Many creams and supplements are cosmetics or health foods, not medicines. This page covers medicines only. For everyday complaints, see popular medicines in Korea.

Products visitors take home

Each product below is listed as an over-the-counter medicine (일반의약품ilban uiyakpumOver-the-counter medicine) on the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) database as of 21 October 2026. Prices vary by pharmacy, so we give none.

Product What it is Check before buying
신신파스아렉스sinsin paseu arekseuSinsin Pas Arex patch (Sinsin) Medicated patch for shoulders, back, sprains Not for under 30 months, wounds or eczema
제일쿨파프jeil kulpapeuJeil Cool Pap (Jeil Health Science) Medicated patch with methyl salicylate and menthol Not for under 30 months, wounds or eczema
케토톱플라스타ketotop peullaseutaKetotop plaster (Handok) Ketoprofen patch for joint and muscle pain Not for under 15. Keep the area out of sun during use and for 2 weeks after
까스활명수큐액kkaseu hwalmyeongsu kyuaekGas Hwalmyeongsu Q liquid (Dong Wha) Herbal digestive liquid in a 75 mL bottle Liquid, so see the airport rules below
훼스탈골드정hweseutal goldeu jeongFestal Gold tablet (Handok) Digestive enzyme tablet Not for age 7 and under
노스카나겔noseukana gelNoscarna gel (Dong-A) Gel with heparin for scar aftercare Not on open wounds; not for under 6 months
마데카솔케어연고madekasol keeo yeongoMadecassol Care ointment (Dongkook) Centella extract with neomycin, an antibiotic, for small scrapes Contains an antibiotic; see the Hong Kong note below
후시딘연고husidin yeongoFucidin ointment (Dong Wha) Fusidic acid antibiotic ointment Contains an antibiotic; use about a week at most
복합우루사연질캡슐bokap urusa yeonjil kaepsyulUrusa Complex soft capsule (Daewoong) Capsule with taurine, ginseng extract and ursodeoxycholic acid for tiredness Ages 15 and up. Not if allergic to soy or peanut

Read the front of the box. 연고yeongoOintment and 일반의약품ilban uiyakpumOver-the-counter medicine mean a medicine. A cosmetic or health food is not covered by the medicine rules below, but other limits may apply.

Before you buy

  • Buy only for yourself. Japan's customs and Taiwan's food and drug agency both say imported medicine is for personal use and may not be sold or given away.
  • Keep the original box. Vietnam's embassy says medicines should carry labels showing the name, active ingredients, strength and expiry date. A Korean box also helps a pharmacist or customs officer at home identify the product.
  • List the ingredients. Photograph the ingredient panel. An ingredient such as dextromethorphan can be controlled elsewhere.
  • Check dextromethorphan products before flying to China. China moved it to its Category II psychotropic list from 1 July 2024, so sales there follow prescription controls, according to a report on gov.cn. Tylenol Cold-S lists dextromethorphan. See popular medicines in Korea.

Airport liquid rules

Incheon Airport allows liquids in carry-on bags only in containers of 100 ml or less, all inside one transparent 1 L resealable bag per person. Its page lists medicines with liquids and describes no separate medicine exception, so pack syrups and drinks in checked baggage or within the limit. A 75 mL bottle fits the 100 ml rule, but the 1 L bag still caps the total. Ask your airline if you need a larger bottle on board. Duty-free liquids are allowed in a sealed duty-free bag.

Rules at home, country by country

Language is not nationality. Use the row for the country you are flying home to.

If you are flying home to… What the official source says
Japan Japan Customs: up to 24 units per item of external medicine such as ointment and eye drops, and 2 months of other medicines (1 month for poisons, powerful and prescription medicines), without an import confirmation. Drink tonics count as medicines
Mainland China General Administration of Customs Order No. 276 (in force 1 April 2025): baggage must be for reasonable personal use, and excess is handled as cargo. We found no medicine quantity in it, so check with China Customs
Taiwan Taiwan FDA (3 July 2024): OTC medicine up to 12 per kind and 36 in total
Hong Kong Hong Kong Customs (6 January 2023): a reasonable personal quantity may be exempt from a licence. Antibiotics, dangerous drugs and Part 1 poisons need a doctor's prescription
Vietnam Vietnam's embassy in Australia (1 November 2025): ordinary medicine up to 3 times a year, up to USD 200 each time. Confirm with Vietnam Customs
Thailand Thai FDA (4 October 2024): up to 30 days for personal use
Mongolia Mongolia's aeronautical information publication says personal-use medicines cover urgent needs of up to 7 days. Injections, narcotics and blood products are banned. Long-term treatments such as for diabetes are also covered. Check with the customs authority
Russia The Eurasian Economic Commission says no permit is needed for medicines brought for personal use. Narcotic and psychotropic ingredients are separate; check with Russian Customs

Rules change. Check the official page before you fly.

Tax refund

Dailypharm reported on 31 October 2025 that pharmacies in Myeongdong, Gangnam, Songpa and Seongdong were joining tax-refund schemes for OTC medicines, health foods and quasi-drugs. We found no official list of qualifying pharmacies. Ask at the counter, and see the tax refund guide.

Common problems

  • A syrup is taken at security. Pack it in checked baggage.
  • Too many boxes of one product. Taiwan counts per kind, Japan per item.
  • An antibiotic ointment questioned at the border. Keep it in the box and be ready to explain.
  • Gifts for friends. Personal-use rules do not cover them.
  • Unsure about a product. Ask the pharmacist and your home authority.

Questions and answers

Can I take Korean medicine to my country?

Usually, in personal quantities. The limits differ, so check the table above.

Do I declare it?

Follow your home customs rules. Declare anything the authority asks you to declare.

Are these medicines safe for children?

Several have age limits on the label. Ask the pharmacist before you buy for a child.

Official sources (24)

Last checked October 21, 2026Next check due April 19, 2027

Rules can change. Confirm on the official site before you travel.

Next stepKorea Tax Refund for Tourists: Step by Step (2026)

Related guides

Something out of date? Tell us