Daiso Beauty in Korea: A Visitor's Guide to Prices, the Myeongdong Store and Tax Refunds

Last checked: November 1, 2026. Store details come from Daiso's official store finder and FAQ. Prices, stock and services change, so check the store finder or ask staff before a special trip.

Ask people what they brought home from Korea and a surprising number will say "a bag full of Daiso." Daiso (다이소) is Korea's biggest uniform-price household store, the kind of place where you go in for a phone cable and come out with sheet masks, hair ties, a travel bottle set and three snacks you didn't plan on.

Over the last few years it has also become a real stop on the beauty-shopping route for visitors. Korean media now describe it as a must-visit for tourists, and the shelves near the entrance of the big tourist branches are full of skincare and makeup priced at a few thousand won.

This guide is for visitors who want to shop Daiso's beauty section in Korea: how the prices work, what kind of beauty products you'll find, where the big Myeongdong store is, and how tax refunds and returns work when every item costs so little. It's a shopping guide, not a review. We haven't tested the products, and what suits you depends on your skin.

Seoul Beauty Finds cover card: a visitor's guide to K-beauty shopping at Daiso in Korea, with prices from 1,000 to 5,000 won

Daiso beauty in Korea at a glance

What	Details
What it is	Korea's large uniform-price store for household goods, snacks, stationery and beauty
Price range	Items are priced in fixed steps from KRW 1,000 to KRW 5,000
Beauty range	About 160 brands and 1,700 beauty items as of February 2026, per Newsis
Big tourist store	Daiso Myeongdong Station (다이소 명동역점), B1 to 12F, 134-1 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu
Tax refund	The official store finder lists tax-free service at the Myeongdong Station store. The usual KRW 15,000 per receipt minimum applies
Returns	Refunds within 2 weeks with the receipt, at the store where you bought the item only

Why Daiso became a beauty stop

Daiso started as a household goods store, and most of its 30,000 or so products are still things like kitchen tools, storage boxes and cleaning supplies. Beauty is the part that changed fastest. According to a Newsis report from March 2026, Daiso's beauty section carried 26 brands and around 250 items in 2023. By February 2026 that had grown to about 160 brands and 1,700 items, and the category has grown by double digits every year since 2023.

Many of those products are made by well-known Korean beauty companies as lines sold only at Daiso, at Daiso prices. Newsis noted, for example, that LG H&H's Daiso line "by O.D-TD" sold more than a million units within nine months of launch, and Tony Moly's "Bonsep" line passed three million units within a year.

Visitors noticed. Korea JoongAng Daily reported in May 2026 that foreign card payments at Daiso rose 50 percent in 2024, 60 percent in 2025 and another 70 percent in the first three months of 2026. Digital Daily reported in August 2026 that tourists were lining up at checkout with suitcases and having large orders boxed for overseas shipping.

How the prices work

Card summarizing how to shop Daiso beauty in Korea as a tourist: prices from 1,000 to 5,000 won, the beauty floor, combining receipts for the KRW 15,000 tax refund minimum, and the 2-week return rule

Daiso keeps a small number of fixed price points. Newsis describes the range as KRW 1,000 to KRW 5,000 and says keeping that uniform pricing is something the company treats as a promise to customers. Korea JoongAng Daily, describing the Myeongdong Station store, put it more simply: almost nothing in the store costs more than 5,000 won.

For beauty, that same article described whole walls of sheet masks, lip tints, sunscreens and skincare ampoules priced between 1,000 and 5,000 won. That's what makes Daiso different from Olive Young. At Olive Young you're comparing prices and waiting for sales. At Daiso the price is already low, and the main limit is how much fits in your suitcase.

Two things to keep in mind:

Check the size. A low price can mean a smaller tube or jar, so compare the volume on the label if you're weighing a Daiso product against a full-size one elsewhere.
The label is in Korean. Most packaging is written for Korean shoppers. A translation app's camera mode helps with ingredients and directions.

The Myeongdong Station store

The branch most visitors mean when they talk about "the giant Daiso" is Daiso Myeongdong Station (다이소 명동역점). Daiso's official store finder lists it at 134-1 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu (서울 중구 퇴계로 134-1), with floors from B1 to 12F, an elevator, and services including tax-free (tax refund), photo stickers and name stickers.

Korea JoongAng Daily reported that the store expanded from five floors to twelve in 2024, added an on-site tax refund system and multilingual staff, and moved cosmetics and snacks near the entrance with displays aimed at tourists buying in bulk. The same report mentioned that the lines for the elevator can get long, so don't count on it if you're in a hurry.

As the name says, it sits by Myeongdong Station on subway Line 4, at the southern edge of the Myeongdong shopping area. Daiso's store finder didn't show this branch's opening hours when we checked, so look them up in the store finder or a map app before going late in the evening.

There are many other Daiso branches across Seoul, from small neighborhood shops to large stores near major stations. Smaller branches carry fewer beauty items and may not offer tax refunds, so if beauty is the point of the trip, a large store is the better bet.

Tax refunds at Daiso

The general rules for tax refunds in Korea apply here too: you need to spend at least KRW 15,000 on one receipt at a tax refund store, and show your physical passport. Our Korea tax refund guide explains the limits and the airport steps.

At Daiso, the minimum is the part that trips people up. With items at KRW 1,000 to 5,000, you need several of them on one receipt to reach KRW 15,000. If you're buying a few things now and a few more later, it's better to pay for everything together at the end. Ask at the counter before you pay so the refund is handled at checkout.

Not every Daiso is a tax refund store. The Myeongdong Station branch lists the service in Daiso's official store finder. For other branches, check the store's details in the store finder first.

Returns and exchanges

Daiso's official FAQ sets out the rules:

Exchanges: within 2 weeks of purchase with the receipt, at the store where you bought it or a nearby directly run store.
Refunds: within 2 weeks with the receipt, at the store where you bought it only. Bring the card you paid with if you used one.
Not accepted: items damaged by the customer or with damaged packaging.

For a short trip, the practical version is simple: if something might need to go back, keep it sealed and keep the receipt until you leave.

Daiso or Olive Young?

You don't have to choose. Many visitors do both, and the two stores fill different roles.

Daiso is good for low-cost experiments, travel-size items, sheet masks in bulk and small extras like cotton pads, makeup sponges and travel bottles.
Olive Young is where you'll find a much wider range of Korean skincare and makeup brands at regular retail prices, plus seasonal sales. If you're in Korea during the first week of November, see our Olive Young first-timer's guide before you go.

Practical tips

Pay for everything at once if you want a tax refund. Small receipts won't reach KRW 15,000.
Bring your physical passport, not a photo of it.
Bring a foldable bag or tote. Big hauls add up fast in bulk.
Check sizes before buying multiples. Some low-priced items come in smaller volumes.
Keep liquids in mind. Toners, creams and sunscreens count toward the liquid limits for your carry-on.
Use a translation app's camera on labels if you have sensitive skin or need to check ingredients.
Go earlier in the day if you can. Big tourist branches get crowded, and elevators fill up.

FAQ

How much are beauty products at Daiso in Korea?
Daiso prices its items in fixed steps from KRW 1,000 to KRW 5,000. Korean media describe beauty items such as sheet masks, lip tints, sunscreens and ampoules in that range.

Can tourists get a tax refund at Daiso?
Yes, at branches that offer it. Daiso's official store finder lists tax-free service at the Myeongdong Station store. You need at least KRW 15,000 on one receipt and your physical passport.

Which Daiso in Seoul is the biggest for tourists?
The Myeongdong Station branch is the best known. Daiso's store finder lists it with floors from B1 to 12F, and Korea JoongAng Daily reports that cosmetics and snacks are placed near the entrance for tourists.

Can I return something I bought at Daiso?
Within 2 weeks with the receipt. Refunds only work at the store where you bought the item, and damaged items or packaging aren't accepted.

Sources

Cards: illustrated by Seoul Beauty Finds.

Seoul Beauty Finds